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).
As SHIELD’s newly formed hero initiative begins to take shape, a mysterious strategist named Baron Helmut Zemo emerges with a plan to dismantle it before it can succeed. Rather than attacking the world, Zemo targets its protectors, assembling the Masters of Evil—villains drawn directly from the Avengers’ past failures. His first strikes are precise and personal. Iron Man is ambushed by Yellow Jacket and Venom, forcing SHIELD to deploy the Hulk to turn the tide. Captain America is lured into a trap by the Enchantress and the Executioner, only surviving when Spider-Man intervenes. Meanwhile, Ant-Man and the Wasp are overwhelmed by a devastating trio—Arnim Zola, the Red Hulk, and Crimson Dynamo—until Thor and Black Panther arrive to save them. Each attack exposes SHIELD’s vulnerability and proves Zemo’s point: these heroes are strongest apart, and dangerous together. Realizing they are being systematically tested and divided, Nick Fury officially unites the team as the Avengers: Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Black Panther, Spider-Man, Ant-Man, and the Wasp. Zemo launches his endgame at the Raft, triggering a mass breakout to release the gravitationally powered supervillain Graviton. The Avengers confront the Masters of Evil in an all-out battle across the prison. Enchantress and the Executioner, Crimson Dynamo, and Yellow Jacket all die. Zola, Red Hulk, and Zemo are captured while Venom escapes into the chaos.
