Table of Contents
Samuel L. Jackson
Birth
Samuel Leroy Jackson was born in Washington, D.C. on December 21, 1948.1)
Parents
He is the son of Roy Henry Jackson and Elizabeth (née Montgomery).2)
Only Child
In Chattanooga, Tennessee, he grew up as an only kid.3)
Father
His father resided away from the family in Kansas City, Missouri, and died of alcoholism later in life. Jackson met his father only twice in his life.4)
Raised By Mother
Jackson was raised by his mother, a factory worker who subsequently became a supply buyer for a mental facility, as well as his maternal grandparents and extended family.5)
Benga
Jackson is descended from the Benga people of Gabon, according to DNA testing.6)
Education
Jackson attended multiple separate institutions before graduating from Chattanooga's Riverside High School. Between the third through twelfth grades, he was a member of the school orchestra, where he played the French horn and trumpet.7)
Stuttering
He had a stuttering problem as a youngster. He later learned to “pretend to be other individuals who didn't stammer” and use the swear term MF as an affirmation word, but he still stutters on occasion.8)
Good Beginnings
In the early 1990s, he rose to prominence and critical acclaim with films such as Jungle Fever (1991), Patriot Games (1992), Amos & Andrew (1993), True Romance (1993), Jurassic Park (1993).9)
Tarantino
He is also known for his collaborations with director Quentin Tarantino, including Pulp Fiction (1994), Jackie Brown (1997), Django Unchained (2012), and The Hateful Eight (2015).10)
Prolific Actor
He has almost 100 films to his credit, including Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995), Unbreakable (2000), Shaft (2000), The 51st State (2001), Black Snake Moan (2006), Snakes on a Plane (2006), and the Star Wars prequel trilogy (1999-2005), as well as the Marvel Cinematic Universe.11)
Voiced Characters
He has voiced characters such as Lucius Best / Frozone in Pixar Animation Studios' film The Incredibles (2004), Mace Windu in Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008), Afro Samurai in the anime television series Afro Samurai (2007), and Frank Tenpenny in the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004).12)
Highest-Grossing
Jackson has gained critical and financial success, overtaking Frank Welker in October 2011 as the actor with the highest-grossing film total of all time, as well as other honours and awards.13)
Family
He has a daughter, Zoe, with his wife, LaTanya Richardson.14)
Highest All-Time Box Office Star
With over $4.9053 billion in total box office gross, an average of $69.1 million per picture, Samuel L. Jackson is recognized as the biggest all-time box office star.15)