Samuel L. Jackson
Ezekiel 25-10
“The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the iniquities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who in the name of charity and good will shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother’s keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and with furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know that my name is the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon thee!”
With this line from “Pulp Fiction”, which has become cult since, Samuel L. Jackson etched himself upon the memory of the cinema enthusiasts and the public as the contemporary figure of the cool philosophical killer with an afro. From Spike Lee and Quentin Tarantino to John Singleton, who made him play the legendary inspector “Shaft”, they have all made the most of this multifaceted actor, now a pillar in Hollywood, to whom the Beaune International Thriller Film Festival is proud to pay tribute.
After Robert Duvall in 2009, the Beaune International Thriller Film Festival keeps on honouring great american actors.
Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Samuel Leroy Jackson attended Morehouse College where he earned his Bachelor of Arts in Drama in 1972. He then performed in theatre productions such as "Home", "A Soldier's Play" and "The Piano Lesson”. Jackson made his film debut in 1973 in “Together for Days” directed by Michael Schultz.
In 1991, he played in Spike Lee’s “Jungle Fever” when he was awarded the first and only Best Supporting Performance Award ever given by the judges at the Cannes Film Festival. He also won the New York Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor for that performance. In 1994, Jackson made an indelible mark on American cinema with his portrayal of ‘Jules’, the philosophizing hitman, in Quentin Tarantino’s “Pulp Fiction”. In addition to unanimous critical acclaim for his performance, he received Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations as Best Supporting Actor.
The following year, he starred opposite Bruce Willis in “Die Hard with a Vengeance”. In 1997, Jackson starred in “Jackie Brown”, his second film with director Quentin Tarantino. For the latter he received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor and the Silver Bear Award for Best Actor at the Berlin Film Festival. Jackson starred in Joel Schumacher’s 1996 film of the John Grisham novel, “A Time to Kill”. For his performance Jackson received a Golden Globe nomination for best actor in a supporting role and an NAACP Image Award. In 1999, Jackson starred in “Deep Blue Sea” for director Renny Harlin. Jackson also made a cameo appearance in George Lucas’ highly successful and popular “Star Wars Episode One: The Phantom Menace”. In 1998, Jackson also starred in F. Gary Gray’s “The Negotiator” and in Francois Girard’s “The Red Violin”.
In 2000, Jackson co-starred opposite Bruce Willis in M. Night Shyamalan’s suspense drama, “Unbreakable”. The same year, Jackson starred in John Singleton’s “Shaft” in the title role. Jackson also co-starred opposite Tommy Lee Jones in “Rules of Engagement” directed by William Friedkin. The last two films were screened at the 2000 Deauville Film Festival, where Jackson was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2001, Jackson starred in “Caveman’s Valentine” directed by Kasi Lemmons and Jackson also served as an executive producer on the project. This was Jackson’s second project with Kasi Lemmons with the first being “Eve’s Bayou”, which he also produced in 1997.
In 2002, Jackson starred with Ben Affleck in the box office and critical success “Changing Lanes”. Also in 2002, Jackson starred and executive produced the film “Formula 51” and reprised his role as ‘Mace Windu’ in the second instalment of George Lucas’ “Stars Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones”. In 2003, Jackson starred in “S.W.A.T” directed by Clark Johnson. In early 2005, Jackson portrayed in “Coach Carter” by Thomas Carter and received the Career Achievement Award for Acting from the Palm Springs Film Festival. In 2006, Jackson also starred in the independent film “In My Country” directed by John Boorman and starring Juliette Binoche. In 2007, Jackson had a starring role in “Resurrecting the Champ”, and a co-starring role in the horror film “1408”, based on the Stephen King novel. Earlier that year, Jackson starred in the Craig Brewer film “Black Snake Moan”, and Irwin Winkler’s war drama “Home of the Brave”. In 2008, Jackson’s films included the Neil LaBute thriller, “Lakeview Terrace”, followed by “Soul Men” and the Frank Miller action drama “The Spirit”.
Jackson recently completed production on the “The Other Guys” directed by Adam McKay, co-starring Mark Wahlberg, and on the HBO film, “Sunset Limited”, an adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s play, co-starring and directed by Tommy Lee Jones. Earlier this year, Jackson filmed a supporting role in “Mother and Child”, directed by Rodrigo Garcia and starring Naomi Watts.
PARTIAL FILMOGRAPHY
1973
TOGETHER FOR DAYS by Michael Schultz
1981
RAGTIME by Milos Forman
1987
EDDIE MURPHY RAW by Robert Townsend
1988
SCHOOL DAZE by Spike Lee
COMING TO AMERICA by John Landis
1989
DO THE RIGHT THING by Spike Lee
SEA OF LOVE by Harold Becker
1990
GOODFELLAS by Martin Scorsese
MO’ BETTER BLUES by Spike Lee
A SHOCK TO THE SYSTEM by Jan Egleson
THE EXORCIST III by William Peter Blatty
BETSY’S WEDDING by Alan Alda
1991
JUNGLE FEVER by Spike Lee
STRICTLY BUSINESS by Kevin Hooks
1992
PATRIOT GAMES by Philip Noyce
JUICE by Ernest R. Dickerson
WHITE SANDS by Roger Donaldson
JUMPING AT THE BONEYARDS by Jeff Stanzier
JOHNNY SUEDE by Tom DiCillo
FATHER AND SONS by Paul Mones
1993
AMOS AND ANDREW by E. Max Frye
JURASSIC PARK by Steven Spielberg
MENACE II SOCIETY by Allen & Albert Hughes
THE METEOR MAN by Robert Townsend
NATIONAL LAMPOON’S LOADED WEAPON I by Gene Quitano
TRUE ROMANCE by Tony Scott
1994
FRESH by Boaz Yakin
PULP FICTION by Quentin Tarantino
THE NEW AGE by Michael Tolkin
THE SEARCH FOR ONE-EYE JIMMY by Sam Henry Kass
1995
LOSING ISAIAH by Stephen Gyllenhaal
KISS OF DEATH by Barbet Schroeder
DIE HARD: WITH A VENGEANCE by John McTiernan
FLUKE by Carlo Carlei
1996
HARD EIGHT by Paul Thomas Anderson
THREE LOUNGES by Steve Buscemi
THE GREAT WHITE HYPE by Reginald Hudlin
THE LONG KISS GOODNIGHT by Renny Harlin
A TIME TO KILL by Joel Schumacher
1997
187 by Kevin Reynolds
EVE’S BAYOU by Kasi Lemmons
JACKIE BROWN by Quentin Tarantino
1998
SPHERE by Barry Levinson
THE NEGOTIATOR by F. Gary Gray
THE RED VIOLIN by François Girard
1999
STAR WARS EPISODE 1: THE PHANTOM MENACE
by George Lucas
DEEP BLUE SEA by Renny Harlin
2000
RULES OF ENGAGEMENT by William Friedkin
SHAFT by John Singleton
THE CAVEMAN’S VALENTINE by Kasi Lemmons
THE 51st STATE by Ronny Yu
UNBREAKABLE by M. Night Shyamalan
2002
CHANGING LANES by Roger Michell
STAR WARS EPISODE 2: ATTACK OF THE CLONES by George Lucas
NO GOOD DEED by Bob Rafelson
xXx by Rob Cohen
2003
BASIC by John McTiernan
S.W.A.T. by Clark Johnson
2004
IN MY COUNTRY by John Boorman
TWISTED by Philip Kaufman
KILL BILL: VOL. 2 by Quentin Tarantino
2005
COACH CARTER by Thomas Carter
xXx2: STATE OF THE UNION by Lee Tamahori
STAR WARS EPISODE 3: REVENGE OF THE SITH by George Lucas
THE MAN by Les Mayfield
2006
FREEDOMLAND by Joe Roth
SNAKES ON A PLANE by David R. Ellis & Lex Halaby
BLACK SNAKE MOAN by Craig Brewer
HOME OF THE BRAVE by Irwin Winkler
2007
RESURRECTING THE CHAMP by Rod Lurie
1408 by Mikael Hafström
CLEANER by Renny Harlin
2008
JUMPER by Doug Liman
GOSPEL HILL by Giancarlo Esposito
LAKEVIEW TERRACE by Neil LaBute
SOUL MEN by Malcolm D. Lee
THE SPIRIT by Frank Miller
2009
MOTHER AND CHILD by Rodrigo Garcia
2010
UNTHINKABLE by Gregor Jordan
IRON MAN 2 by Jon Favreau
THE OTHER GUYS by Adam McKay
