Samuel L Jackson Birthday: Quotes And Movies From The Actor For His 68th Year

Samuel L. Jackson, the acclaimed actor scheduled to be in at least five feature film releases next year, turned 68 Wednesday. The actor is known for his roles in movies like “The Avengers” series, “Django: Unchained” and more classic films like “Pulp Fiction.”

Jackson’s film career spans nearly 4 1/2 decades and during that time he has played a variety of roles in which he hasn’t shied away from difficult subject material or crass language. Those roles have given him a slew of awards for his work. He also shows up pretty regularly in Capital One credit card commercials in which he asks the recognizable question, “What’s in your wallet?”

The 68-year-old born in Washington has an estimated net worth of $150 million that makes him one of the richest black celebrities in the business.

Here are quotes from the actor about his life and his struggles during his 68 years.

• “I never had one beer. If I bought a six-pack of beer, I kept drinking till all six beers were gone. You have to have that kind of understanding about yourself. I haven't had a drink now in 12 years.”
• “The best advice that was given to me was that I had to be 10 times smarter, braver and more polite to be equal. So I did.”
• “I voted for Barack because he was black. 'Cuz that's why other folks vote for other people — because they look like them. ... That's American politics, pure and simple.”
• “We've come a long way in our thinking, but also in our moral decay. I can't imagine Dr. King watching the 'Real Housewives' or 'Jersey Shore.' ”
• “I just always knew that I lived in two worlds. There was the world of my house and community, but to make my way in that white world I had to modify the way I spoke and acted. I had to sometimes not make direct eye contact.”
• “I get paid all day, every day, which is almost too much for a sensitive artist.”
• “My dad was an absentee dad, so it was always important to me that I was part of my daughter's life, and she deserved two parents, which is part of the rationale behind us staying married for 30 years.”
• “I kind of realize that I have a tendency to choose the kind of films I watched when I was a kid and would go home and pretend with my friends that we were in those movies after we saw them.”
• “Because of where I come from, I never thought I'd see in my life a black candidate running for President.”