Anecdotes

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.

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 Les Indestructibles (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 : Épisode VII - Le Réveil de la Force (2015).

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

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).

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.

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.

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.

In a 2012 interview with "Nuts" magazine, he cites Au revoir à jamais (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 Héros ou salopards (1980) and Ian Holm for his role in Les Chariots de feu (1981).

Was offered his role in Star Wars, épisode I : La Menace fantôme (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 Business oblige (1990) and Kingsman : Services secrets (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 Au revoir à jamais (1996), Mr. Glass wore purple clothing in Incassable (2000); Jackson chose to have Doyle Gipson wear a purple hat in Dérapages incontrôlés (2002); Mace Windu, upon request by Jackson to George Lucas, wielded a purple lightsaber in Star Wars, épisode II : L'Attaque des clones (2002) and Star Wars, épisode III : La Revanche des 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.

Has appeared in five films with Bruce Willis: Alarme fatale (1993), Pulp Fiction (1994), Une journée en enfer (1995), Incassable (2000) and Glass (2019).

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

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.

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

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.

Is great friends with British actor Simon Pegg.

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

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

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.

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

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

Selected Quoi de neuf Pussycat ? (1965) for the AFI's book, "Private Screenings", as the movie that influenced him most.

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 to Society (1993) (MC Eiht), 187: code meurtre (1997) (Method Man), Peur bleue (1999) (LL Cool J), Shaft (2000) (Busta Rhymes), S.W.A.T. : Unité d'élite (2003) (Eve and LL Cool J), xXx²: The Next Level (2005) (Ice Cube and Xzibit), Black Snake Moan (2006) (David Banner) and Les soldats du désert (2006) (50 Cent).

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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'.

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

Has appeared with Brad Dourif in four films: Ragtime (1981), L'Exorciste, la suite (1990), Jungle Fever (1991), and Amos & Andrew (1993).

Has taken citizenship in Gabon.

Overdosed three times on heroin.

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

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