ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT master of ceremonies
IT’S HIS WORLD
SAMUEL L. JACKSON:
By Isoul H. Harris
the world, he led folks to the highest open- ing weekend gross of any fi lm in history. Who knew that this guy born into
humble surroundings in Washington, DC, raised in Chattanooga, TN, and who served as a cheerleader at Morehouse College would also go on to become the highest- grossing fi lm actor of all time? Oh, yes. Jackson has surpassed Frank
S 10
amuel Leroy Jackson rules the world. And there are many reasons to believe that he knows this: his non-hurried strut; his witty retorts to questions with a deceiving cool; his
ubiquitous presence in the lives of every red-blooded American with a television and disposable income for the movies. It’s safe to say that he knows his
supreme position. In May, he pulled double wonderment:
As Nick Fury, the leather clad, eye-patched general in the Disney/Marvel Comics fi lm The Avengers (the VIPs of superheroes), Jackson not only lead everyone in saving
Welker (known for his voice-acting in fi lms such as The Transformers franchise) for the Guinness Book of World Records accolade. All of the fi lms he either starred in or has had a supporting role in have raked in an estimated $7.2 billion. If these laurels come as a shock, there
were a few shining moments in the begin- ning of his career that foreshadowed his unbelievable success. He starred as Leeds, the Jheri-curled brother ordering fried chick- en in Spike Lee’s 1988 fi lm School Daze. Dazzling work. And in the same year, he left moviegoers speechless as the holdup man in the McDowell’s fast-food restaurant in Eddie Murphy’s classic comedy Coming to America. And who can forget his brilliant turn as Monroe in 1991’s Strictly Business? Yes, the signs were there. Jackson is now regarded as one of the
most skilled actors of his time. As Gator in Spike Lee’s 1991 fi lm Jungle Fever, he wowed critics so much with his deft portrayal of a drug addict that the judges
in Cannes created a special jury prize for a supporting actor just for him. And there is that little Oscar nod he
garnered for his portrayal of Jules Winnfi eld (sporting yet another Jheri- curl), the scripture-spouting murderer in Quentin Tarantino’s classic 1993 fi lm Pulp Fiction. With that role, Jackson single- handedly brought about a rebirth of cool in cinema. And remarkably, he avoids acting techniques of masters such as Stanislav- ski or Meisner. Jackson’s method of acting is simple: employment! He has starred in over 100 fi lms and counting. His next job: hosting the 2012 BET
Awards. With this new opportunity, Jackson is venturing out of his comfort zone and leaping from the silver screen into the music industry. This man participated in the Civil Rights Movement, mingled with Black Panthers, served as Bill Cosby’s stand-in for years on The Cosby Show, acted, produced fi lms, and starred on Broadway and in animated series. And he may be able to hold his own singing, as he proved on the track “Catfi sh Medley” from the soundtrack of his 2006 fi lm Black Snake Moan. But how will he fare with famously temperamental art- ists? Jackson can save the world from alien invaders, but how will he hold up against lead nominee Kanye West if the rapper decides to Swift the stage? It will be too big to miss. Tune in on July 1, at 8/7C.
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