Samuel Leroy Jackson (born December 21, 1948) is an American actor and producer. One of the most widely recognized actors of his generation, the films in which he has appeared have collectively grossed over $27 billion worldwide, making him the second highest-grossing actor of all time. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences gave him an Academy Honorary Award in 2022 as "A cultural icon whose dynamic work has resonated across genres and generations and audiences worldwide". Jackson started his career on stage making his professional theatre debut in Mother Courage and her Children in 1980 at The Public Theatre. From 1981 to 1983 he originated the role of Private Louis Henderson in A Soldier's Play Off-Broadway. He also originated the role of Boy Willie in August Wilson's The Piano Lesson in 1987 at the Yale Repertory Theatre. He returned to the play in the 2022 Broadway revival playing Doaker Charles. Jackson early film roles include Coming to America (1988), Goodfellas (1990), Patriot Games (1992), Juice (1992), True Romance (1993), and Jurassic Park (1993), Menace II Society (1993), and Fresh (1994). His collaborations with Spike Lee led to greater prominence with films such as School Daze (1988), Do the Right Thing (1989), Mo' Better Blues (1990), Jungle Fever (1991), Oldboy (2013), and Chi-Raq (2015). Jackson's breakout role was in Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction (1994) which earned him a BAFTA Award win and a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. He further collaborated with Tarantino, acting in Jackie Brown (1997), Django Unchained (2012), and The Hateful Eight (2015). He's known for having appeared in a number of big-budget films, including Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995), A Time to Kill (1996), The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996), The Negotiator (1997), Deep Blue Sea (1999), Unbreakable (2000), Shaft (2000) and its reboot (2019), XXX (2002), S.W.A.T. (2003), Coach Carter (2005), Snakes on a Plane (2006), Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014), Kong: Skull Island (2017), and Glass (2019). He also gained widespread recognition as the Jedi Mace Windu in the Star Wars prequel trilogy (1999–2005), later voicing the role in the animated film Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) and the video game Lego Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2011). With his permission, his likeness was used for the Ultimate version of the Marvel Comics character Nick Fury; he subsequently played Fury in 11 Marvel Cinematic Universe films, beginning with a cameo appearance in Iron Man (2008), as well as guest-starring in the television series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. He will reprise this role in the upcoming Disney+ series Secret Invasion, which is set to premiere on June 21, 2023. Jackson has provided his voice for several animated films, documentaries, television series, and video games, including Lucius Best / Frozone in the Pixar films The Incredibles (2004) and Incredibles 2 (2018).
247 movies · 83 shows
Afterburn
2025·6.3
The Unholy Trinity
2025·6.3
Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show
2025·1.0
FireAid Benefit Concert
2025·8.5
The Piano Lesson: Legacy and a Vision
2024·0.0
The Piano Lesson
2024·5.8
American Music Awards 50th Anniversary Special
2024·0.0
The Garfield Movie
2024·7.0
Damaged
2024·5.6
Argylle
2024·6.0
The Marvels
2023·5.9
Marvel Studios Assembled: The Making of Secret Invasion
2023·5.2
The Kill Room
2023·5.9
Samuel L. Jackson: Did I Stutter?
2023·9.0
Is That Black Enough for You?!?
2022·6.2
Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank
2022·6.6
An Audience with Adele
2021·8.4
2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
2021·4.0
Marvel Studios' 2021 Disney+ Day Special
2021·6.9
The Protégé
2021·6.5
Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard
2021·6.6
Spiral: From the Book of Saw
2021·5.9
Quentin Tarantino: From a Movie Buff to a Hollywood Legend
2021·5.0
Death to 2020
2020·6.5
A West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote
2020·7.9
One World: Together at Home
2020·7.1
The Banker
2020·7.6
The Last Full Measure
2020·7.3
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
2019·6.3
QT8: The First Eight
2019·7.2
Spider-Man: Far From Home
2019·7.4
Shaft
2019·6.5
Avengers: Endgame
2019·8.2
Captain Marvel
2019·6.8
Glass
2019·6.7
Life Itself
2018·7.2
Quincy
2018·7.3
Incredibles 2
2018·7.5
Avengers: Infinity War
2018·8.2
Miracle on 42nd Street
2017·0.0
Unicorn Store
2017·5.9
The Hitman's Bodyguard
2017·6.9
Creating a King: Summoning a God
2017·7.3
The Words That Built America
2017·6.0
John Travolta, le miraculé d'Hollywood
2017·7.3
Kong: Skull Island
2017·6.6
Smokey Robinson: The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song
2017·0.0
I Am Not Your Negro
2017·7.7
xXx: Return of Xander Cage
2017·6.1
Eating You Alive
2016·7.3
BET Presents Love & Happiness: An Obama Celebration
2016·9.0
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
2016·6.8
Cell
2016·4.7
The Legend of Tarzan
2016·5.9
The Hateful Eight
2015·7.8
Star Wars: Evolution of the Lightsaber Duel
2015·6.3
Chi-Raq
2015·5.7
Kingsman: The Secret Service Revealed
2015·5.0
Barely Lethal
2015·5.7
Avengers: Age of Ultron
2015·7.3
Kingsman: The Secret Service
2015·7.6
Big Game
2014·5.5
Life's Essentials with Ruby Dee
2014·1.5
Kite
2014·4.3
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
2014·7.7
Marvel Studios: Assembling a Universe
2014·6.9
RoboCop
2014·5.9
Reasonable Doubt
2014·5.8
Face of Unity
2014·0.0
Oldboy
2013·5.9
Everything Is Samuel L. Jackson's Fault
2013·8.0
Turbo
2013·6.3
Quentin Tarantino: 20 Years of Filmmaking
2013·6.7
Django Unchained
2012·8.2
Eddie Murphy: One Night Only
2012·6.0
The Avengers: A Visual Journey
2012·8.0
Marvel Studios: Building a Cinematic Universe
2012·6.0
Zambezia
2012·6.2
The Avengers
2012·8.1
The Samaritan
2012·5.5
I Ain't Scared of You: A Tribute to Bernie Mac
2012·8.1
Final Cut: Ladies and Gentlemen
2012·7.6
Meeting Evil
2012·5.3
Young Jeezy: A Hustlerz Ambition
2011·5.2
Arena
2011·5.2
Captain America: The First Avenger
2011·7.0
Go the F**k to Sleep
2011·8.0
Thor
2011·6.8
African Cats
2011·7.3
Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair
2011·8.1
The Sunset Limited
2011·7.2
On the Shoulders of Giants
2011·6.3
Return to Jurassic Park
2011·6.6
Under the Boardwalk: The Monopoly Story
2010·6.2
Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey
2010·5.8
The Other Guys
2010·6.3
With Great Power: The Stan Lee Story
2010·6.8
Unthinkable
2010·6.8
Iron Man 2
2010·6.9
In the Land of the Free...
2010·0.0
Heavy Rain
2010·5.5
Mother and Child
2009·6.6
Astro Boy
2009·6.3
Inglourious Basterds
2009·8.2
The Face is Familiar
2009·2.0
Afro Samurai: Resurrection
2009·6.9
Uneven Fairways
2009·0.0
Welcome to Lakeview Terrace: Behind the Scenes
2009·0.0
The Spirit
2008·4.8
Soul Men
2008·6.1
Lakeview Terrace
2008·6.0
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
2008·6.2
Iron Man
2008·7.7
Jumper
2008·6.2
Gospel Hill
2008·4.7
Critic
2008·7.9
Afro Samurai the Movie
2007·2.0
Cleaner
2007·6.1
Respect Yourself: The Stax Records Story
2007·8.5
1408
2007·6.7
Resurrecting the Champ
2007·6.3
Snakes on a Blog
2007·0.0
Snakes on a Plane: Meet the Reptiles
2007·6.0
Snakes on a Set: Behind the Scenes
2007·0.0
Black Snake Moan
2006·6.8
Home of the Brave
2006·5.4
Farce of the Penguins
2006·4.2
Mais Bastidores de Hollywood
2006·0.0
Snakes on a Plane
2006·5.5
50 Films to See Before You Die
2006·8.5
Freedomland
2006·5.2
Honor Deferred
2006·0.0
The N Word
2006·7.2
Pure Venom: The Making of Snakes on a Plane
2006·7.0
The Man
2005·5.8
My Date with Drew
2005·5.9
Coach Carter The Man Behind the Movie
2005·8.0
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith
2005·7.5
xXx: State of the Union
2005·5.1
Mr. Incredible and Pals
2005·5.9
The Harlem Globetrotters: The Team That Changed the World
2005·7.8
George Lucas: Creating an Empire
2005·5.0
Coach Carter
2005·7.6
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas - The Introduction
2004·6.8
The Incredibles
2004·7.7
Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson
2004·7.2
In My Country
2004·5.9
John Travolta: The Inside Story
2004·8.3
Kill Bill: Vol. 2
2004·7.9
Twisted
2004·5.6
Hollywood Legenden
2004·4.5
S.W.A.T.
2003·6.2
Basic
2003·6.5
Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives
2003·5.2
Jackie Brown: How It Went Down
2002·7.7
Pulp Fiction: The Facts
2002·5.0
Pulp Fiction: Behind The Scenes Montages
2002·0.0
BaadAsssss Cinema
2002·6.0
xXx
2002·6.0
No Good Deed
2002·5.4
The Art of Action: Martial Arts in the Movies
2002·5.9
Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones
2002·6.6
Changing Lanes
2002·6.3
Middle School Confessions
2002·7.0
The 51st State
2001·6.1
R2-D2: Beneath the Dome
2001·6.7
The 100 Greatest Films
2001·5.5
Comic Books & Superheroes
2001·8.0
The Caveman's Valentine
2001·5.8
Unbreakable
2000·7.1
Shaft
2000·6.0
Opening the Tombs of the Golden Mummies: Live
2000·9.0
Rules of Engagement
2000·6.3
Any Given Wednesday
2000·6.3
Shaft: Still the Man
2000·7.5
Deep Blue Sea
1999·6.0
From Star Wars to Star Wars: The Story of Industrial Light & Magic
1999·7.8
The Unauthorized Star Wars Story
1999·0.0
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace
1999·6.6
Our Friend, Martin
1999·7.1
Forever Hollywood
1999·8.3
The Red Violin
1998·7.4
All Saints: The Video
1998·9.0
The Negotiator
1998·7.1
Out of Sight
1998·6.7
Off the Menu: The Last Days of Chasen's
1998·7.5
Sphere
1998·6.1
Jackie Brown
1997·7.4
Eve's Bayou
1997·6.4
One Eight Seven
1997·6.7
Hard Eight
1997·6.8
The Long Kiss Goodnight
1996·6.6
A Time to Kill
1996·7.4
Shaquille O'Neal: Larger than Life
1996·6.0
Trees Lounge
1996·6.9
The Great White Hype
1996·5.2
The Journey of the African-American Athlete
1996·10.0
Fluke
1995·7.1
Die Hard: With a Vengeance
1995·7.3
A Night to Die For
1995·7.0
Kiss of Death
1995·5.7
Losing Isaiah
1995·6.5
The Search for One-eye Jimmy
1994·5.6
The New Age
1994·5.6
Pulp Fiction
1994·8.5
Fresh
1994·7.2
Hail Caesar
1994·3.4
Against the Wall
1994·6.1
Assault at West Point: The Court-Martial of Johnson Whittaker
1994·6.3
True Romance
1993·7.5
Jurassic Park
1993·8.0
Menace II Society
1993·7.5
Amos & Andrew
1993·5.5
National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1
1993·6.1
Fathers & Sons
1992·5.4
Patriot Games
1992·6.7
White Sands
1992·5.9
Juice
1992·7.2
Dead and Alive: The Race for Gus Farace
1991·5.7
Strictly Business
1991·5.4
Jumpin' at the Boneyard
1991·6.3
Johnny Suede
1991·5.2
Jungle Fever
1991·6.4
The Return of Superfly
1990·5.4
GoodFellas
1990·8.5
The Exorcist III
1990·6.3
Mo' Better Blues
1990·6.5
Betsy's Wedding
1990·5.7
Spike & Co.: Do It a Cappella
1990·0.0
Common Ground
1990·8.5
Def by Temptation
1990·4.8
A Shock to the System
1990·6.5
Spike & Co. Do It a-Cappella
1990·10.0
Making 'Do the Right Thing'
1989·6.9
Sea of Love
1989·6.6
Do the Right Thing
1989·7.8
Dead Man Out
1989·6.6
Coming to America
1988·6.9
School Daze
1988·5.7
Eddie Murphy Raw
1987·7.3
Uncle Tom's Cabin
1987·7.0
Magic Sticks
1987·6.0
Ragtime
1981·7.0
The Exterminator
1980·5.5
The Trial of the Moke
1978·6.0
The Displaced Person
1977·7.0
Together for Days
1972·8.3