Trivia

He suffered from a stutter while growing up. A speech therapist suggested he audition for a play and it might help his speech. It did and he changed his major.

Was an usher at Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s funeral.

Gave his consent for Marvel Comics to design their "Ultimate" version of the character Nick Fury after his likeness. He later went on to play Nick Fury in Iron Man (2008).

Although he had been acting in small roles and in theatre productions, it was not until he was 40 years old that he received his first major role in Do the Right Thing (1989) and he was 45 when he became a star with Pulp Fiction (1994).

The success of The Incredibles (2004) enabled Jackson to surpass Harrison Ford as the actor whose movies have grossed the most money in the world - in excess of $3 billion. (January 2005). Though in 2016, Ford re-surpassed him due to the massive success of Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015).

Was an admitted drug user until he completed drug rehab two weeks before playing a drug addict in Jungle Fever (1991).

Like Christopher Walken, he makes films for the pleasure he gets out of acting, regardless of how the film turns out.

To date (2006), his films have grossed more money at the box office than the work of any other actor in cinematic history.

Briefly suspended in 1969 from Morehouse College after taking hostage several members of the board of trustees, including the father of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., during a protest of the failure of the university to have black trustees or a black studies program.

The Guinness World Records named Samuel L. Jackson as the highest-grossing film actor of all time, taking in more than $7.4 billion at the box-office. The residuals alone earn him about $300,000 a year.

He originally intended to become a marine biologist before discovering acting in college.

In a 2012 interview with "Nuts" magazine, he cites The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996) as a favorite film.

As opposed to many other actors and actresses, he enjoys watching his own movies.

The Jury of the Cannes Film Festival were so impressed with his performance as Gator in Jungle Fever (1991), that they decided to recreate the rare Best Supporting Actor category in that year, honoring him with the award. To date (2016), he's one of the few actors to receive the honor along with Jack Thompson for his performance in Breaker Morant (1980) and Ian Holm for his role in Chariots of Fire (1981).

Was offered his role in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999) after mentioning in an interview on UK television show TFI Friday (1996) that he would really like to work with George Lucas.

One of the late bloomers of Hollywood, he was already 46 years old when Pulp Fiction (1994) premiered and has acted in an average of 3-4 films a year since.

Considers himself a close friend and admirer of British actor Michael Caine. The two have collaborated together on a couple of projects, including A Shock to the System (1990) and Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014).

Due to his prominent stature within the film industry, he is accorded a clause in all his movie contracts that guarantees him easy access to golf courses, no matter where the location shoot happens to be.

His character from Pulp Fiction (1994), Jules Winnfield, ranked second in the "coolest movie characters of all time", in a poll by the UK's Empire Magazine (the winner was Tyler Durden of Fight Club (1999)).

His characters often feature the color purple: Mitch Hennessy wore a purple-violet gem ring in The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996), Mr. Glass wore purple clothing in Unbreakable (2000); Jackson chose to have Doyle Gipson wear a purple hat in Changing Lanes (2002); Mace Windu, upon request by Jackson to George Lucas, wielded a purple lightsaber in Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002) and Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005); and Lazarus, his character in Black Snake Moan (2006), plays a purple Gibson guitar.

Says that people who recognize him often mistake him for Laurence Fishburne and vice versa.

Auditioned for a role in Mississippi Burning (1988), but director Alan Parker told him he did not sound Southern, even though he was raised in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Worked as a camera stand-in for Bill Cosby during the filming of The Cosby Show (1984).

Growing up, his idol was Errol Flynn and dreamed about being a movie swashbuckler someday.

Is great friends with British actor Simon Pegg.

Before superstardom, he played a very minor role in Goodfellas (1990), starring Robert De Niro. After superstardom, he co-starred in Jackie Brown (1997), this time with Robert De Niro playing a supporting role.

One of Jackson's jobs as a struggling actor in New York was as a doorman at the popular Manhattan Plaza subsidized apts, home to hundreds of actors and artists, including Giancarlo Esposito, who co-starred with Jackson in Amos & Andrew (1993).

Is an Anglophile, being fond of English culture and England in general.

Has appeared in five films with Bruce Willis: Loaded Weapon 1 (1993), Pulp Fiction (1994), Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995), Unbreakable (2000) and Glass (2019).

He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7020 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on June 16, 2000.

In 2003, he spoke out against rappers turned actors, saying that as a classically trained thespian it was not his job to lend credibility to rappers by appearing in movies with them. But in reality, he has worked with more rappers than most actors in Hollywood, eleven times as of this writing: Juice (1992) (Tupac Shakur and Queen Latifah), Menace II Society (1993) (MC Eiht), One Eight Seven (1997) (Method Man), Deep Blue Sea (1999) (LL Cool J), Shaft (2000) (Busta Rhymes), S.W.A.T. (2003) (Eve and LL Cool J), xXx: State of the Union (2005) (Ice Cube and Xzibit), Black Snake Moan (2006) (David Banner) and Home of the Brave (2006) (50 Cent).

During filming of Black Snake Moan (2006), grew close with co-star Christina Ricci. The two remain good friends to this day.

Has the rare distinction of having played characters that have been eaten by both a shark and a dinosaur.

Graduated from Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia in 1972.

Accomplished at playing brass instruments (french horn, trumpet) in school symphony orchestras from grade 3 to grade 12.

Is once again the highest grossing actor of all time at $5.4 billion at the box office. [April 2018].

Selected What's New Pussycat (1965) for the AFI's book, "Private Screenings", as the movie that influenced him most.

Appeared in three Oscar Best Picture nominees: Goodfellas (1990), Pulp Fiction (1994) and Django Unchained (2012), and was a narrator in a fourth Inglourious Basterds (2009).

The commencement speaker at daughter Zoe Jackson's graduation from Vassar College (May 2004).

Is an avid Liverpool FC supporter and fan after his work in the city on 51st State (Formula 51) and often tweets on twitter when they win a game with simply 'Liverpoooool'.

His performance as Jules Winnfield in Pulp Fiction (1994) is ranked #41 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Performances of All Time (2006).

Made Forbes Celebrity 100 list in 2002 and 2003 with earnings of $34 million and $30 million respectively.

Highest grossing Black actor of all time, with over $4.6 billion brought to the box office.

Was the first security guard of the Manhattan Plaza apartment complex, a building notable for housing artists and their families. Among other kids, Alicia Keys and Timothée Chalamet grew up there.

Member of the jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 2006.

Beverly Hills neighbors include, Denzel Washington, Eddie Murphy, Sylvester Stallone, Rod Stewart, Britney Spears, Mariah Carey, Prince, David Beckham and Victoria Beckham, etc.

Has taken citizenship in Gabon.

Ranked #44 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list. (October 1997)

His Pulp Fiction (1994) diner scene with John Travolta, was re-enacted by Dark Horse Comics' mid-2000 issue of "Star Wars Tales". In it (with modifications), his Mace Windu character talks about the Jedi Academy and current Senate politics with Master Yoda, during a meal on Coruscant.

In real life, he was once a New York high-rise doorman, and in 1408 (2007), he was a New York high-rise manager.