Short answers, pulled from the story.
As of 2022, according to data calculated by the Golden Globes, the films Jackson has appeared in have collectively grossed more than $27 billion worldwide across 152 movies. This figure makes him the highest-grossing actor and the second-highest-grossing person in film overall, behind Stan Lee, who was primarily known for cameo appearances.
Jules Winnfield in Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction in 1994 was Jackson's breakthrough role. Tarantino wrote the part specifically for him, and the performance earned Jackson a BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, a Golden Globe nomination, and an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
In 2002, Marvel Comics designed their Ultimate version of Nick Fury after Jackson's likeness without his consent. Jackson, an active comic book reader, recognized his image and had his agents contact Marvel, which pledged to cast him in film adaptations. He first appeared as Nick Fury in a post-credit scene in Iron Man in 2008, then signed a nine-picture deal with Marvel Studios in February 2009.
In 1969, Jackson and several other students held members of the Morehouse College Board of Trustees hostage on campus, including Martin Luther King Sr., to demand reform in the school's curriculum and governance. The college agreed to change its policies, but Jackson was convicted of unlawful confinement and suspended for two years.
The jury at the 1991 Cannes Film Festival created a special Supporting Actor award specifically for Jackson's performance as a crack cocaine addict in Spike Lee's Jungle Fever. The category did not exist in the official competition; the jury added it to recognize his work.
The purple lightsaber was Jackson's own suggestion. He wanted his character to stand out in a crowded battle scene in Star Wars: Episode II, Attack of the Clones. Jackson has also said he did not learn he was playing Mace Windu until he was fitted for his costume during Episode I, as he had simply wanted any role in the saga.