Samuel L. Jackson is one of the biggest stars on the planet thanks to his incredible filmography and recognizable voice, but this fame came from humble beginnings. Growing up in Washington, D.C. and Chattanooga, Tennessee as an only child, it wasn't until Jackson attended Morehouse College that his interest in acting blossomed. He originally wanted to be a marine biologist and was heavily inspired by Martin Luther King Jr.
Following MLK's death in 1968, Jackson served as an usher at his funeral. Shortly thereafter, Jackson traveled to Memphis to attend an equal rights protest march. This began a point in Jackson's life where he was very active in standing up for political and social injustices. In 1969, Jackson helped bring change to Morehouse College, which predominately was a school for people of color. However, the Board of Trustees was mostly white men and Jackson and other students felt they needed to be better represented at that level. Their solution was to hold members of the Board hostage and demand people of color be hired in positions of power and changes to the curriculum. After two days, the Board members agreed to these demands.
Although Jackson helped change Morehouse College, he was arrested for unlawful confinement and suspended from school for two years as a result. He spent time as a social worker in LA during this time, but Jackson has denied in interviews the popular belief that he joined the Black Panther movement during this time. Once his suspension was over, Jackson returned to Morehouse College to get a Bachelor of Arts in Drama and then began his pursuit of acting. This didn't immediately bring him massive success, but his early work in the 70s and 80s led to the career he's now known for.
It was near the end of the '80s that Jackson began to pop in small appearances and working with big-name directors. His small role in Coming to America as a robber paved the way for his memorable turn as radio personality Mister Señor Love Daddy in Spike Lee's Do The Right Thing, which led to his appearance as Stacks Edwards in Goodfellas. But, after other supporting roles in Patriot Games, Jurassic Park, and True Romance, Jackson had his true breakout role as Jules in Quentin Tarantino's 1994 film Pulp Fiction.
After this emergence, Jackson found major roles in Die Hard with a Vengeance, Jackie Brown, The Negotiator, and then made his debut as Mace Windu in 1999's Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace. His run through the early 2000s included two more of the Star Wars prequels, Shaft, Unbreakable, Coach Carter, Snakes on a Plane, and as Frozone in The Incredibles. This is also when Jackson landed the role that would define his career for the next decade: Nick Fury in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. All of this has led to Jackson becoming the highest-grossing actor in history. And to think he wanted to be a marine biologist instead!