Samuel L. Jackson: Second billed, but second to none

Although he rarely recieves top billing, Samuel L. Jackson's career has been impressive nevertheless.

Samule L. Jackson has worked with all of the following directors; Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino, George Lucas and M. Night Shyamalan? Samuel L. Jackson has one of the most amazing resumes of film work of the past 20 years, even though his career really did not get going until he was well into middle age.

Jackson made his big screen debut in 1981 playing gang member number 2 in James Cagney's final film Ragtime. In 1988, when Jackson was 40 years old, he had a small part in Eddie Murphy's Coming to America. There followed a string of small parts in memorable movies like: Do the Right Thing, Goodfellas, Patriot Games and Jurassic Park.

In 1994 Jackson made Pulp Fiction. Playing opposite John Travolta, Jackson helped create a classic scene involving a discussion of Big Mac hamburgers. From there he went on to costar in Die Hard: With a Vengeance, A Time to Kill and my personal favorite The Long Kiss Goodnight.

In 1999, He got the role of Mace Windu in Star Wars: Episode I-The Phantom Menace and Episode II-Attack of the Clones in 2002. That same year he also costarred in xXx. In 2003 he made S.W.A.T. and in 2004 he appeared in Kill Bill Volume 2 as well as lending his voice as Frozone in The Incredibles.

Samuel L. Jackson has had an amazing track record at the box office, although he has seldom carried a movie by himself with 2000's Shaft being a rare exception. He often works with notable directors and costars with many popular movie stars like Harrison Ford, Vin Diesel, Ben Affleck and Collin Farrell. Jackson seems to be very good at picking projects.

Although usually not top billed, Jackson is definitely a talent who brings something to every movie he makes. Often his characters are on the edge or simmering with some rage. Watch A Time to Kill, Changing Lanes, or Unbreakable to witness this. He can also play the mature voice of reason as in such films as xXx, S.W.A.T. and the Star Wars movies.

Jackson has had great film success and all of it has come after hitting middle age. It is very clichéd but it certainly fits; Jackson is like a bottle of wine that gets better with age. Nearing 60, Jackson is hardly showing any signs of slowing down. In this next year look for him in Coach Carter, in which he actually stars, xXx: The State of the Union and of course Star Wars: Episode III-Revenge of the Sith.