Samuel L Jackson - Biography

SAMUEL L. JACKSON (Doyle Gipson) has established himself as one of the most respected actors of his generation. He made an indelible mark on American cinema with his portrayal of Jules, the philosophizing hit man in Quentin Tarantino’s “Pulp Fiction.” In addition to unanimous critical acclaim for that performance, he received Academy Award® and Golden Globe nominations as Best Supporting Actor, as well as a Best Supporting Actor award from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.

In 2000, Jackson starred in three major films: Paramount’s hits “Shaft,” directed by John Singleton, and “Rules of Engagement,” directed by William Friedkin; and M. Night Shyamalan’s “Unbreakable,” in which he co-starred with Bruce Willis. Both “Shaft” and “Rules of Engagement” were screened at the Deauville Film Festival, where Jackson received a Lifetime Achievement Award. Earlier in the same year, he received rave reviews for his performance in “The Caveman’s Valentine.”

Jackson graduated from Morehouse College in Atlanta, with a degree in dramatic arts. He went on to perform in numerous stage plays, including “Home,” “A Soldier’s Play,” “Sally/Prince” and “The District Line.” He also originated roles in two of August Wilson’s plays at Yale Repertory Theatre. For the New York Shakespeare Festival, Jackson appeared in “Mother Courage and Her Children” and “Spell #7.”

While still a student at Morehouse, Jackson made his film debut in “Together for Days.” Prior to “Pulp Fiction,” he received great acclaim and a New York Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as a crack addict in Spike Lee’s “Jungle Fever.” He was also the recipient of the first and only Best Supporting Performance award given by the judges at the Cannes Film Festival.

Among his other films are “The Red Violin,” “Deep Blue Sea,” “Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace,” “The Negotiator,” “Eve’s Bayou” (which he also produced), “Jackie Brown” (Golden Globe nomination and the Silver Bear award for Best Actor in a Comedy at the Berlin Film Festival), “A Time to Kill” (Golden Globe nomination and NAACP Image award), “Die Hard: With a Vengeance,” “187,” “Sphere,” “The Long Kiss Goodnight,” “Hard Eight,” “Kiss of Death,” “Losing Isaiah,” “Amos & Andrew,” “Ragtime,” “Sea of Love,” “Coming to America,” “Ray,” “Do the Right Thing,” “School Daze,” “Mo’ Better Blues,” “Goodfellas,” “Strictly Business,” “White Sands,” “Patriot Games,” “Jumpin’ at the Boneyard,” “Fathers & Sons,” “Juice,” “Fresh” and “True Romance.”

On television, Jackson starred in John Frankenheimer’s Emmy Award-winning “Against the Wall,” for HBO. His performance earned him a Cable Ace nomination as Best Supporting Actor in a Movie or Miniseries, as well as a Golden Globe nomination.

Upcoming, Jackson will be seen in “Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones,” released worldwide on May 16th as well as starring in the sci-fi action film, “XXX,” scheduled for release in August. Also in August 2002, Jackson stars in “Formula 51,” which he also served as Executive Producer. Jackson recently completed production on the film, “Basic” for director John McTiernan.

Release Date: 1 Nov
Distributor: UIP
Cert: 15
Running Time: 98 minutes

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