Samuel L. Jackson’s wife, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, is an American actress, born on October 21, 1949.
She started out in off-Broadway productions, then moved on to supporting roles in television and movies. When a Man Loves a Woman (1994), Sleepless in Seattle (1993), Malcolm X (1992), Lone Star (1996), U.S. Marshals (1998), and The Fighting Temptations (2003) are just a few of the movies Richardson has starred in.
Her television appearances on Luke Cage (2016–2018), Rebel (2017), Show Me a Hero (2015), and 100 Center Street (2001–2002) are among her credits. Thus, it can be said that LaTanya had a fairly successful career, landing parts in blockbuster films and TV series. She was nominated for a Tony Award in the category of "Best Lead Actress in a Play" for her work in "A Raisin in the Sun." She also made a three-episode guest appearance as Diane Pierce on “Grey's Anatomy” in 2017.
In 2019, the actress played Calpurnia in the Broadway production of “To Kill a Mockingbird.” There is no question about her acting talent because she used to go to the theater club with her future husband, Samuel L. Jackson, when she was a college student.
Where is LaTanya Richardson from?
LaTanya, who was born and raised in Atlanta, began acting around the age of 15. The first private HBCU liberal arts college for women, Spelman College, was where she studied. She began performing in the children's theater and kept doing so until she graduated.
"I got to work with such luminous actresses as Diana Sands in Macbeth" in 2017, LaTanya spoke with Variety. "Atlanta was a welcoming presence for a lot of artists; they called it 'the Mecca of the South." LaTanya and Samuel, both students at Morehouse College, first met while they were Atlanta undergrads. LaTanya was very much an "Atlanta girl," according to Samuel, and she was "part of the whole black revolutionary thing that was happening at Spelman."
According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Jacksons' $5 million gift to Spelman in 2021 was the school's largest alumni gift in history. “The LaTanya Richardson Jackson and Samuel L. Jackson Performing Arts Center” will be the new name for the theater, lobby, dressing rooms, and supporting spaces at the liberal arts center.
How did Samuel L. Jackson and LaTanya Richardson meet?
Although Samuel L. Jackson had enjoyed spending time in the scenery with his aunt, it wasn't until much later that he realized his dream job would be entertaining the public with his talent. Jackson studied at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, in the 1960s. His goal was to get a degree in marine biology.
However, he felt so happy after joining a theater club for extra credit that he ultimately decided to change his major to drama. By chance, he also met his soulmate this way. In Atlanta at the time, his future wife was also enrolled in a theater program, though she was attending Spelman College, Jackson's alma mater. "Sam was not part of my circle.” “I was a theater snob; he loved movies," she told a New York Times reporter. They clicked on a drama program despite having different tastes in music and they started dating. Jackson earned his degree in 1972, and the couple set out for New York in 1976 in search of the city's bright lights, where they would each pursue acting careers.
Before having their daughter, Zoe, they got engaged four years later. "We thought we were going to be the black Liz Taylor and Richard Burton, but we were going to stay together," Jackson said in an interview with People magazine.
How do Samuel L. Jackson and his wife get along?
Jackson and LaTanya have been coping with a variety of issues, including growing up in dysfunctional families. Jackson was raised by a single mother, just like his wife, while his alcoholic father left the family. Jackson found the sense of family he was looking for with LaTanya, but they went through difficult times when it seemed the family would not endure.
In the early 1990s, Jackson felt lost and was unable to resist temptation, according to Screen Star News. The actor developed a cocaine and heroin addiction. When his wife and daughter, then eight, discovered him overdosing on the kitchen floor, he had reached the lowest point of his life.
LaTanya could have simply taken their child and left, but she chose not to. Jackson sought treatment as a result of the event. LaTanya credits their love and shared faith in God for the happiness of their union. Their relationship is a wonderful illustration of tenacity and genuine love.
FAQs
