- "When reporters asked me, 'Are there any directors you want to work with that you haven't worked with before,' I would say, 'George Lucas is about to do the Star Wars thing, I'd really love to work with him.' And I said that often enough that somebody heard it and told him. I got invited to the Ranch to see if I was serious about that. Yeah, sure! You can make me a stormtrooper if you want, I don't care—as long as I know I'm in the movie, I don't care if anybody else knows or not."
- ―Samuel L. Jackson
Samuel L. Jackson (born December 21, 1948) is an American actor who portrayed Jedi Master Mace Windu in the prequel trilogy. He later voiced his character in The Clone Wars film and the video game LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars.
Contents
Biography[edit | edit source]
Jackson was offered the role of Windu after he announced on a radio program that he was a fan of the films.[1] Prior to the release of Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith, Jackson stated in an interview that his death scene would not have him "going out like a punk."[2]
Before the filming of the First Battle of Geonosis began, Jackson asked director George Lucas what colors there were for lightsabers. Lucas told him "good guys are green and blue, bad guys are red." When Jackson inquired as to whether purple was a possibility, Lucas only answered: "You might get purple." Mace Windu became the first Jedi depicted in a Star Wars movie to have a lightsaber that was not red, blue, or green.[3]
When asked about appearing in Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens, Jackson commented that he had not been contacted, and that he was busy with a number of other roles. He stated, however, that "it would have been interesting," and that he had high hopes for the new movies.[4]
Work in Star Wars[edit | edit source]
- Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace (Mace Windu)
- Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones (Mace Windu)
- Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith (Mace Windu)
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars (film) (Mace Windu)
- Star Wars Galaxy of Adventures (Mace Windu)
Star Wars Galaxy of Adventures – "Jedi vs. Sith - The Skywalker Saga" (Mace Windu)
- Star Wars: Episode IX The Rise of Skywalker (Mace Windu)
Star Wars: The Clone Wars – "Shattered" (Mace Windu)
Filmography[edit | edit source]
| Year | Title | Role | Other notes |
| 2020 | Star Wars: The Clone Wars | Mace Windu | "Shattered" (Archival audio) |
| 2019 | Spider-Man: Far From Home | Nick Fury and Talos | |
| Avengers: Endgame | Nick Fury | ||
| Captain Marvel | |||
| Glass | Elijah Price / Mr. Glass | ||
| 2018 | Incredibles 2 | Lucius Best / Frozone | |
| Avengers: Infinity War | Nick Fury | Uncredited cameo in a post-credits scene | |
| 2017 | The Hitman's Bodyguard | Darius Kincaid | |
| Blazing Samurai | Jimbo | ||
| Kong: Skull Island | Lieutenant Colonel Packard | ||
| XXX: Return of Xander Cage | Agent Augustus Eugene Gibbons | ||
| 2016 | Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children | Barron | |
| The Legend of Tarzan | George Washington Williams | ||
| Cell | Tom McCourt | ||
| 2015 | The Hateful Eight | Major Marquis Warren | |
| Chi-Raq | Dolmedes | ||
| Disney Infinity 3.0 | Nick Fury | Video game (voice) | |
| Barely Lethal | Hardman | ||
| Avengers: Age of Ultron | Nick Fury | ||
| 2014 | Kingsman: The Secret Service | Valentine | |
| Black Dynamite | Captain Quinton | TV series (voice) | |
| Big Game | The President | ||
| Kite | Karl Aker | ||
| Captain America: The Winter Soldier | Nick Fury | ||
| RoboCop | Pat Novak | ||
| Reasonable Doubt | Clinton Davis | ||
| 2013 | Oldboy | Chaney | |
| 2013/2014 | Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. | Nick Fury | TV series |
| 2013 | Turbo | Whiplash | Voice |
| 2012 | Django Unchained | Stephen | |
| Zambezia | Tendai | Voice | |
| The Avengers | Nick Fury | ||
| Meeting Evil | Richie | ||
| Fury | Foley | a.k.a. The Samaritan – Also Executive Producer | |
| The Colbert Report | Ad Narrator | TV series – Uncredited (voice) | |
| 2011 | Arena | Logan | |
| Captain America: The First Avenger | Nick Fury | Cameo | |
| African Cats | Narrator | Documentary (voice) | |
| Thor | Nick Fury | Uncredited cameo | |
| LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars | Mace Windu | Video game (voice) | |
| The Sunset Limited | Black | TV movie | |
| 2010 | Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey | Fear | (voice) |
| The Other Guys | P.K. Highsmith | ||
| Unthinkable | Henry Harold 'H' Humphries | ||
| Iron Man 2 | Nick Fury | Video game (voice) | |
| Iron Man 2 | |||
| The RRF in New Recruit | Zog | Short movie (voice) | |
| 2009 | Astro Boy | Zog | (voice) |
| Mother and Child | Paul | ||
| Inglourious Basterds | Narrator | Uncredited (voice) | |
| Afro Samurai: Resurrection | Afro Samurai & Ninja Ninja | TV movie (voice) – Also Executive Producer | |
| 2008 | The Spirit | Octopus | |
| Soul Men | Louis Hinds | ||
| Gospel Hill | Paul Malcolm | ||
| Lakeview Terrace | Abel Turner | ||
| Star Wars: The Clone Wars | Mace Windu | Voice | |
| Iron Man | Nick Fury | Uncredited cameo | |
| Jumper | Roland | ||
| Afro Samurai | Afro Samurai & Ninja Ninja | TV miniseries – Also Executive Producer | |
| 2007 | Cleaner | Tom Cutler | Also Producer |
| Great Performances | Narrator | TV series | |
| 1408 | Gerald Olin | ||
| Resurrecting the Champ | Champ | ||
| Afro Samurai | Afro Samurai & Ninja Ninja | Video game (voice) | |
| 2006 | Home of the Brave | Will Marsh | |
| Black Snake Moan | Lazarus | ||
| Snakes on a Plane | Neville Flynn | ||
| Freedomland | Lorenzo Council | ||
| Farce of the Penguins | Narrator | (voice) | |
| 2005/2010 | The Boondocks | Gin Rummy | TV series (voice) |
| 2005 | The Man | Derrick Vann | |
| Extras | Himself | TV series | |
| Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith | Mace Windu | ||
| xXx: State of the Union | Agent Augustus Eugene Gibbons | a.k.a. xXx²: The Next Level | |
| The Adventures of Mr. Incredible | Frozone | Short movie | |
| Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson | Jack Johnson | TV documentary (voice) | |
| Coach Carter | Coach Ken Carter | ||
| 2004 | The Incredibles | Frozone | Video game (voice) |
| The Incredibles | Lucius Best/Frozone | (voice) | |
| Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas | Officer Frank Tenpenny | Video game (voice) | |
| Kill Bill: Volume 2 | Rufus | Cameo | |
| Twisted | John Mills | ||
| In My Country | Langston Whitfield | ||
| 2003 | S.W.A.T. | Sgt. Dan 'Hondo' Harrelson | Video game (voice) |
| Basic | West | ||
| Freedom: A History of Us | Several roles | TV series (documentary) | |
| 2002 | xXx | Agent Augustus Eugene Gibbons | |
| No Good Deed | Jack Friar | ||
| Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones | Mace Windu | ||
| Changing Lanes | Doyle Gipson | ||
| The Comeback | Unknown role | Short movie | |
| 2001 | The Proud Family | Joseph | TV series (voice) |
| The 51st State | Elmo McElroy | a.k.a. Formula 51 – Also Executive Producer | |
| The Caveman's Valentine | Romulus | Also Executive Producer | |
| 2000 | Unbreakable | Elijah Price | |
| Shaft | John Shaft | ||
| WWE SmackDown | John Shaft | TV series – Uncredited | |
| Rules of Engagement | Col. Terry L. Childers | ||
| Any Given Wednesday | Willie Nutter | Short movie | |
| 1999 | Deep Blue Sea | Russell Franklin | |
| Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace | Mace Windu | ||
| Our Friend, Martin | Turner | (voice) | |
| 1998 | The Red Violin | Charles Morritz | Segment "Montreal" |
| The Negotiator | Danny Roman | ||
| Out of Sight | Hejira Henry | Uncredited cameo | |
| Sphere | Dr. Harry Adams | ||
| 1997 | Jackie Brown | Ordell Robbie | |
| Eve's Bayou | Louis Batiste | Also Producer | |
| One Eight Seven | Trevor Garfield | ||
| Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child | The Mayor | TV series (voice) | |
| 1996 | The Long Kiss Goodnight | Mitch Henessey | |
| A Time to Kill | Carl Lee Hailey | ||
| Trees Lounge | Wendell | ||
| The Great White Hype | Rev. Fred Sultan | ||
| Hard Eight | Jimmy | a.k.a. Sydney | |
| 1995 | Fluke | Rumbo | (voice) |
| Die Hard with a Vengeance | Zeus Carver | ||
| Kiss of Death | Calvin Hart | ||
| Losing Isaiah | Kadar Lewis | ||
| 1994 | The Search for One-eye Jimmy | Col. Ron | |
| The New Age | Dale Deveaux | ||
| Pulp Fiction | Jules Winnfield | ||
| Hail Caesar | Mailman | ||
| Against the Wall | Jamaal | TV movie | |
| Assault at West Point: The Court-Martial of Johnson Whittaker | Richard Greener | ||
| Fresh | Sam | ||
| 1993 | True Romance | Big Don | |
| Jurassic Park | Ray Arnold | ||
| Menace II Society | Tat Lawson | ||
| Amos & Andrew | Andrew Sterling | ||
| Loaded Weapon 1 | Wes Luger | ||
| American Experience | The Steward | TV series (documentary) | |
| 1992 | I'll Fly Away | Walter Harper | TV series |
| Ghostwriter | Reggie Jenkins | ||
| Patriot Games | Robby | ||
| White Sands | Greg Meeker | (as Sam Jackson) | |
| Juice | Trip | ||
| Fathers & Sons | Marshall | ||
| Jumpin' at the Boneyard | Mr. Simpson | ||
| 1991 | Dead and Alive: The Race for Gus Farace | Hatcher | TV movie |
| Strictly Business | Monroe | (as Sam Jackson) | |
| Roc | Larry | TV series | |
| Johnny Suede | B-Bop | ||
| Jungle Fever | Gator Purify | ||
| Law & Order | Louis Taggert | TV series | |
| 1990 | The Return of Superfly | Nate Cabot | (as Sam Jackson) |
| Goodfellas | Stacks Edwards | ||
| The Exorcist III | Dream Blind Man | ||
| Mo' Better Blues | Madlock | ||
| Betsy's Wedding | Taxi Dispatcher (Mickey) | ||
| A Shock to the System | Ulysses | ||
| Def by Temptation | Minister Garth | ||
| 1989 | Sea of Love | Black Guy | |
| The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd | Brother Elvis | TV series | |
| Do the Right Thing | Mister Señor Love Daddy | (as Sam Jackson) | |
| A Man Called Hawk | Unknown role | TV series | |
| Dead Man Out | Calvin Fredricks | TV movie | |
| 1988 | Coming to America | Hold-Up Man | |
| School Daze | Leeds | ||
| 1987 | Eddie Murphy Raw | Eddie's Uncle | Sketch |
| Magic Sticks | Bum | (as Sam Jackson) | |
| Uncle Tom's Cabin | George | TV movie (as Samuel Jackson) | |
| 1986/1987 | Spenser: For Hire | Leroy Clancy & Ned | TV series |
| 1981 | Ragtime | Gang Member #2 | |
| 1980 | The Exterminator | Extra | Uncredited |
| 1978 | The Trial of the Moke | Unknown role | TV movie |
| 1977 | The Displaced Person | Sulk | |
| 1976 | Movin' On | Patrolman | TV series – Uncredited |
| 1972 | Together for Days | Stan |
Bibliography[edit | edit source]
- Biography: Samuel L. Jackson on StarWars.com (content now obsolete; backup link)
- "A Jedi Trio"—Star Wars Insider 46
- "Samuel L. Jackson: The Jedi Returns"—Star Wars Insider 55
- Samuel L. Jackson: The Jedi Returns on StarWars.com (content now obsolete; backup link)
- "Straight from the Hip"—Star Wars Insider 80
- "In Their Own Words: The Cast on the Making of Episode II"—Star Wars Insider 136
- "Star Wars Prequels Unseen!"—Star Wars Insider 165
- Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga: The Official Collector's Edition
Notes and references[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Star Wars Trivial Pursuit
- ↑ Jedi Samuel L. Jackson Drops 'Episode III' Hint (2003-01-29). mtv.com. MTV. Archived from the original on December 16, 2014.
- ↑
Making Episode II: Part 10: Good To G.O. on StarWars.com (content now obsolete; backup link)
- ↑ Samuel L Jackson: 'Star Wars return would have been interesting' (2014-06-17). digitalspy.com. Digital Spy. Archived from the original on May 13, 2020.
External links[edit | edit source]
- Samuel L. Jackson's Official Website
- Samuel L. Jackson on Wikipedia
- Samuel L. Jackson at the Internet Movie Database
- Samuel L. Jackson (@samuelljackson) on Facebook
- Samuel L. Jackson (@SamuelLJackson) on Twitter
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