Biografía

Was 14 years old when he was cast in Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalipsis (1979); he had celebrated his 15th and 16th birthdays during the making of the film. Saved Emilio Estevez from being sucked under by quicksand, while they were relaxing off the set.

A founding member of the Guggenheim Motorcycle Club, a group that arranges rides to art museums around the world.

His deal for Matrix (1999) sequels was for a reported $15 million + 3.75% of the gross.

Studied acting at the Lincoln Square Academy in Manhattan, New York City.

An Ambassador for the United Nations Childrens' Emergency Fund (UNICEF), an agency of the United Nations which helps children all over the world with educational, health and humanitarian assistance.

For the last six months, people have been coming up to me and saying, "I loved you in Tiempos violentos (1994), Mr. Jackson". [1996]

I've played a lot of bad guys, 'cause that was the only work I could get. People saw my face and went 'oooh'.

[on why he didn't read the complete play of "Othello" before acting in the film version in which more than half of the dialogue was cut] Why should I read all those words that I'm not going to get to say?

I play characters. I don't think I really have a persona per se. I don't play the same guy every time. I show up, you don't know what I'm gonna do. I like it that way. I've intentionally tried to do it that way. I think that's what's interesting.

It's funny, a lot of people think I take myself seriously because I come off so serious sometimes. But it's not that I take myself seriously, I take what I do seriously. I came up around people who took acting seriously, who cared about acting, cared about the theater and, in the '70s, made movies that said something that mattered. I came up with those people, and I was a kid. Their ethos and credo became mine.