One of the busiest actors in Hollywood, the “bad ass” Samuel L. Jackson’s prolific list of credits reflected a career born both in the theatre, and then shaped by the cinema as one of America’s leading African-American actors. Respected on both stage and screen, Jackson’s output seemed to increase almost exponentially as he grew older. Averaging about five features a year since 1992, Jackson began his screen career modestly in commercials, working at the pitchman for a regional fast-food chain called Krystal Hamburgers. Graduating to legitimate theater, Jackson made his bones appearing on stage for nearly a decade as a member of the acclaimed Negro Ensemble Company. Over the years, Jackson’s talents afforded him the opportunity to spread his wings and segue into bit parts in films and TV guest shots – most importantly with stand-out roles in such films as “Do the Right Thing” (1989), “Jurassic Park” (1993) and “Pulp Fiction” (1994). Jackson’s strikingly feline eyes and pitch perfect ear for street dialogue conveyed a scarily effective menace, but his expressive face adjusted impressively to a wide range of material, both dramatic and comedic.