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).
Samuel L. Jackson
Director Nick Fury
for Director Nick Fury in Iron Man (2008)
Suggested by calcarv05
Genius billionaire Tony Stark is gravely wounded when terrorists ambush his convoy in Afghanistan using Stark Industries weapons. Imprisoned by the Ten Rings, he is kept alive by fellow captive Ho Yinsen, who creates an electromagnet to stop shrapnel from reaching Tony’s heart. Ordered to build weapons, Tony instead creates a miniature Arc Reactor and a crude armored suit, escaping after Yinsen sacrifices himself. Haunted by what he witnessed, Tony shuts down Stark Industries’ weapons division despite fierce opposition from Obadiah Stane. Determined to protect lives instead of taking them, he perfects advanced armor with the help of J.A.R.V.I.S. and becomes Iron Man, destroying Ten Rings stockpiles and exposing the misuse of Stark technology. Tony uncovers that Stane orchestrated the attack and has been secretly profiting from illegal weapons deals. After stealing Tony’s Arc Reactor, Stane builds the massive Iron Monger armor and attacks Stark Industries. Forced to rely on his original reactor, Tony defeats Iron Monger when Pepper Potts overloads the company’s Arc Reactor, destroying Stane and his armor. Rejecting S.H.I.E.L.D.’s cover story, Tony ends a packed press conference with the words, “I am Iron Man.” Post-Credits Scene: Late that night, Tony returns to his Malibu home to find his security systems bypassed and an eyepatch-wearing stranger waiting in the darkness. The man introduces himself as Nick Fury, Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., joking that dealing with gamma accidents, radioactive bug bites, assorted mutants, and now “a spoiled brat who doesn’t play well with others and wants to keep all his toys to himself” has become quite the job. A confused Tony asks who he is, prompting Fury to formally identify himself before revealing that he has come to discuss the Avenger Initiative. When Tony asks, “Well, what are we avenging?” Fury simply smiles and answers, “Whatever the hell we want.”
