Samuel Leroy Jackson is an American actor and film producer known for Pulp Fiction (1994), the Star Wars prequels, Unbreakable (2000), Snakes on a Plane (2006), and the Marvel films as Nick Fury. Born December 21, 1948, in Washington, D.C., he is 77 years old — he turns 78 on December 21, 2026. At 6 feet 2 inches tall, Jackson is the highest-grossing actor of all time, with the films in which he has appeared grossing more than $27 billion worldwide. He is married to actress LaTanya Richardson Jackson, and his net worth is approximately $250 million (Celebrity Net Worth, 2025).
Quick Facts
| Full Name | Samuel Leroy Jackson |
| Born | December 21, 1948 (age 77) |
| Birthplace | Washington, D.C. |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (189 cm) |
| Occupation | Actor, Film Producer |
| Wife | LaTanya Richardson Jackson (married 1980) |
| Children | 1 daughter (Zoe) |
| Net Worth | Approx. $250 million (Celebrity Net Worth, 2025) |
| Nationality | American |
Who Is Samuel L. Jackson?
Samuel L. Jackson is an American actor and film producer who is one of the most widely recognized actors of his generation. The films in which he has appeared have collectively grossed more than $27 billion worldwide, making him the highest-grossing actor of all time. He has received an Academy Honorary Award, a BAFTA Award, and Best Actor prizes at the Cannes and Berlin film festivals, as well as nominations for an Academy Award, four Golden Globe Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and two Tony Awards. Jackson famously insisted that Snakes on a Plane (2006) keep its working title when the studio wanted to change it to Pacific Air 121 — and he has said the title was the reason he signed on to the film.
Jackson’s career spans more than five decades, from his early work with Spike Lee to Pulp Fiction (1994), in which his performance as the hitman Jules Winnfield earned him an Academy Award nomination, and his long-running role as Nick Fury in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He has played the Jedi Master Mace Windu in the Star Wars prequels, the villain Stephen in Django Unchained (2012), and the superhero Frozone in Pixar’s The Incredibles (2004). In 2022, he received an Academy Honorary Award, presented to him by Denzel Washington.
Early Life & Background
Samuel Leroy Jackson was born on December 21, 1948, in Washington, D.C., and was raised in Chattanooga, Tennessee, by his mother, Elizabeth, and his grandparents. He attended several segregated schools in Chattanooga and developed a stutter as a child, which he learned to manage in part through acting. In 1966, he enrolled at Morehouse College in Atlanta, where he planned to study marine biology before switching to drama. While a student, he served as an usher at the funeral of Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968, and in 1969 he took part in a protest in which students held the college’s board of trustees hostage for two days, for which he was expelled. He returned to Morehouse and graduated with a degree in drama in 1972.
Jackson began his acting career in theatre in New York, joining the Negro Ensemble Company and appearing in plays including The Piano Lesson and Home. He also worked as a social worker for two years before acting full time. His first film role was a small part in Together for Days (1972), and he spent the 1970s and 1980s working in theatre and small film roles, including in the 1981 film Ragtime. His breakthrough came when the director Spike Lee cast him in School Daze (1988) and Do the Right Thing (1989), in which he played the radio disc jockey Mister Señor Love Daddy.
Career
Jackson’s first major film role was as Gator, a crack addict, in Spike Lee’s Jungle Fever (1991), for which he won the Best Supporting Actor prize at the Cannes Film Festival. He then played the computer expert Ray Arnold in Jurassic Park (1993) and Zeus Carver, John McClane’s reluctant partner, in Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995). His career-defining performance came as the hitman Jules Winnfield in Quentin Tarantino‘s Pulp Fiction (1994), opposite John Travolta, for which he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor and won a BAFTA. In 2000, he starred as the comic-book villain Elijah Price in M. Night Shyamalan’s Unbreakable, and he played the title role in the remake of Shaft (2000).
Jackson played the Jedi Master Mace Windu in the Star Wars prequel trilogy (1999, 2002, 2005) and voiced the superhero Frozone in Pixar’s The Incredibles (2004) and its sequel Incredibles 2 (2018). In 2008, he made a cameo as Nick Fury in the post-credits scene of Iron Man, launching a long run as the character across the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including The Avengers (2012), Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), and Captain Marvel (2019), alongside Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans. He also starred as the villainous Stephen in Tarantino’s Django Unchained (2012) and as the bounty hunter Major Marquis Warren in The Hateful Eight (2015).
Jackson has remained prolific in the 2010s and 2020s. He starred in Kong: Skull Island (2017), reprised Elijah Price in Glass (2019), and led the Disney+ series Secret Invasion (2023) as Nick Fury. He earned strong reviews for the Apple TV+ miniseries The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey (2022), in which he played a man with dementia, and he starred in and produced the Netflix film The Piano Lesson (2024), directed by Malcolm Washington and co-starring his wife, LaTanya Richardson Jackson. He has also voiced the audiobook of the bestselling picture book Go the F*** to Sleep (2011) and narrated numerous documentaries.
Facts About Samuel L. Jackson
- Jackson is the highest-grossing actor of all time — the films in which he has appeared have grossed more than $27 billion worldwide.
- While a student at Morehouse College, he served as an usher at the funeral of Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968.
- He was expelled from Morehouse College in 1969 after a student protest and returned to graduate with a drama degree in 1972.
- Jackson won the Best Supporting Actor prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 1991 for Jungle Fever.
- He voiced Frozone in Pixar’s The Incredibles (2004) and narrated the audiobook of the bestselling picture book Go the F*** to Sleep (2011).
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Samuel L. Jackson?
Samuel L. Jackson was born on December 21, 1948, in Washington, D.C. He is 77 years old and turns 78 on December 21, 2026.
How tall is Samuel L. Jackson?
Samuel L. Jackson is 6 feet 2 inches tall (189 cm).
Who is Samuel L. Jackson’s wife?
Samuel L. Jackson is married to actress LaTanya Richardson Jackson. They married in 1980 and have a daughter, Zoe.
What is Samuel L. Jackson’s net worth?
Samuel L. Jackson’s net worth is approximately $250 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth (2025).
What is Samuel L. Jackson’s most famous role?
Samuel L. Jackson is best known as Jules Winnfield in Pulp Fiction, Nick Fury in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Mace Windu in the Star Wars prequels. He received an Academy Honorary Award in 2022.