2012 | Re-teamed with director Quentin Tarantino in "Django Unchained," a Western drama set in Mississippi; film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino |
2012 | Co-starred in the Marvel superhero ensemble feature "The Avengers" as Nick Fury |
2011 | Made cameos in "Thor" and "Captain America: The First Avenger" as Nick Fury |
2011 | Reprised his role as Nick Fury, director of the super-spy agency; S.H.I.E.L.D., in "Thor" |
2011 | Nominated for the 2011 Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male |
2011 | Nominated for the 2011 Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male ("Mother and Child") |
2010 | Co-starred with Naomi Watts and Annette Bening in the indie "Mother and Child" |
2010 | Cast opposite Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell in the action comedy "The Other Guys" |
2010 | Cast as S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury in Jon Favreau's "Iron Man 2" |
2008 | Cast as the villain, the Octopus in Frank Miller's "The Spirit" |
2008 | Co-starred with Bernie Mac as former backup soul singers in "Soul Men" |
2008 | Played a racist cop in Neil LaBute's "Lakeview Terrace" |
2007 | Co-starred in the boxing film "Resurrecting the Champ" |
2007 | Portrayed a blues player who kidnaps and imprisons a young woman addicted to sex in "Black Snake Moan" |
2006 | Starred as an FBI agent in the summer thriller "Snakes on a Plane" |
2006 | Cast in Joe Roth's "Freedomland" with Julianne Moore |
2005 | Reprised his role in "Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith" the final film in the saga |
2005 | Cast in the title role in "Coach Carter" the true-life story of controversial high-school basketball coach, who in 1999 benched his entire undefeated basketball team for poor academic performance |
2004 | Voiced Lucius Best/Frozone in Pixar's animated feature "The Incredibles" |
2003 | Reunited with Tarantino for "Kill Bill"; film released in two Volumes "Kill Bill Vol. 1" (2003) and "Kill Bill Vol.2" (2004) |
2003 | Starred in the action-packed feature "S.W.A.T." |
2002 | Reunited with John Travolta in "Basic" |
2002 | Continued his work as Mace Windu in "Stars Wars: Episode II - Attack Of The Clones" |
2002 | Co-starred as Doyle Gipson, an alcoholic saleman in "Changing Lanes" |
2000 | Received star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (June 16) |
2000 | Played title role in "Shaft," a loose remake of the 1971 classic directed by Gordon Parks and starring Richard Roundtree |
2000 | Cast as a Marine Colonel accused of using excessive force in "Rules of Engagement" |
1999 | Portrayed Jedi Knight Mace Windu in the long-awaited "Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace" |
1998 | Played an evaluator of violins in the small independent "The Red Violin" |
1998 | Received $5 million to star opposite Spacey in "The Negotiator" |
1997 | Acted the part of arms dealer Ordell Robbie in Tarantino's "Jackie Brown" |
1997 | Debut as producer, executive produced "Eve's Bayou"; also delivered a silky performance as a cheating husband |
1997 | Played a teacher returning to the classroom after nearly being killed by a student in "187" |
1996 | Portrayed Carl Lee Hailey, the grieving father accused of killing the men who raped his 9-year-old daughter, in Joel Schumacher's "A Time to Kill" |
1995 | Initial foray into action-adventure genre, "Die Hard with a Vengeance" |
1994 | Played prisoner Jamaal in the acclaimed HBO movie "Against the Wall" |
1994 | Delivered a sensational performance as Jules, the philosophizing hit man and partner of John Travolta, in Quentin Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction"; earned Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination |
1993 | First feature lead in the comedy "Amos and Andrew" |
1991 | Breakthrough supporting role, the crackhead Gator in Lee's "Jungle Fever" |
1990 | Co-starred in world premiere of Wilson's "Two Trains Running" at the Yale Repertory Theater; replaced by Laurence Fishburne on Broadway |
1988 | First appearance in a Spike Lee film, "School Daze" |
1987 | Originated the part of Boy Willie in the world premiere of Wilson's "The Piano Lesson" at the Yale Repertory Theater; replaced by Charles S Dutton on Broadway |
1985 | First affiliation with playwright August Wilson, Seattle Repertory Theatre production of "Fences" |
| Spent two years as Bill Cosby's TV stand-in for the NBC sitcom "The Cosby Show" |
1981 | First notable appearance in a major feature, as Gang Member No. 2 in Milos Forman's "Ragtime" |
1981 | First met Spike Lee backstage one night after a performance of "A Soldier's Play" |
1978 | Appeared in "The Trial of the Moke" for "Great Performances" (PBS) |
| Performed plays with New York Shakespeare Festival |
1976 | Moved to NYC from Atlanta; began performing in stage productions, frequently with the Negro Ensemble Company |
1974 | First appearance on a TV series, "Moving On" (NBC) |
1972 | Made feature debut in "Together For Days," starring Clifton Davis and Lois Chiles (credited as Sam Jackson) |
| Debuted in a TV commercial for Southern fast-food chain Krystal Hamburgers in Atlanta, GA |
| Grew up in segregated Chattanooga, TN |
