Age: 77
male
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).
The Fantastic Four: First Steps (released July 25, 2025) reboot‑reintroduces Marvel’s First Family in an alternate, retro‑futuristic Earth‑828 inspired by 1960s aesthetics. Directed by Matt Shakman, the film skips the traditional origin story, presenting Reed Richards and Sue Storm as established heroes already expecting their first child, Franklin. Their team—including Ben Grimm (The Thing) and Johnny Storm (Human Torch)—must suddenly confront the cosmic threat of Galactus and his herald, Silver Surfer (Shalla‑Bal). The story mainly revolves around the family’s struggle to protect Earth by constructing massive teleportation “bridges” that could relocate the entire planet—and ultimately leveraging Franklin’s nascent reality‑warping powers to outwit the world‑devouring deity . Critics have praised the film’s vibrant production design, nostalgic tone, and strong performances—especially by Pedro Pascal (Reed), Vanessa Kirby (Sue), Ebon Moss‑Bachrach (Ben), and Joseph Quinn (Johnny)—but many fault it for its more serious, exposition‑heavy storytelling and minimal character arc development. Reviews note that humor and emotional nuance—hallmarks of previous Fantastic Four adaptations—are largely absent, creating a more somber, streamlined tone. Still, the retro‑futuristic visuals, Michael Giacchino’s score, and a hopeful message about family and unity elevate it as a “promising revitalization” of the franchise, even if it feels tonally uneven at times.
