If you love movies, you’re likely familiar with Samuel L. Jackson. The famous actor has had an amazingly long career and has starred in almost 150 movies. Some of his more memorable films include Pulp Fiction, Coach Carter, Django Unchained and Kill Bill. But what you might not know much about is Jackson’s addiction journey. Keep reading to learn more about the actor’s path to sobriety — and what he’s said about his addiction.

Samuel L. Jackson’s Life & Career

Samuel Leroy Jackson was born in Washington, D.C., in 1948. Initially, he attended college in pursuit of a marine biology career. Jackson took an acting class for extra credit and found it so fascinating he switched majors.

He spent several years acting on stage and getting small roles in television and film. But his big break came in 1994 when Quentin Tarantino cast him as Jules Winnfield in Pulp Fiction. The film would catapult Jackson to fame and help him launch a successful acting career that continues to this day.

Tarantino specifically wrote the role for Jackson, which surprised the rising actor at the time. Today, you can’t think about Pulp Fiction without Samuel L. Jackson immediately coming to mind.

Samuel L. Jackson & Addiction

While many actors turn to substance abuse as a way to cope with fame, Samuel L. Jackson’s addiction began before he became a celebrity.

Jackson has previously shared that he started using drugs recreationally at the young age of 15. After he moved to New York City in the 1970s, his substance abuse escalated. The actor started drinking heavily and using LSD and marijuana regularly.

By the 1980s, Jackson had married his college sweetheart and had a daughter. He was landing some minor roles but had trouble achieving mainstream success. Reflecting back on that time, the actor shared that he believes his lack of progress was due to his spiraling addiction.

“I had a very good theatre reputation. Granted, I was a f–king drug addict and I was out of my mind a lot of the time, but I had a good reputation. Showed up on time, knew my lines, hit my marks. I just wasn’t making a lot of money, but I was very satisfied artistically. I was doing Pulitzer prize-winning plays. I was working with people who made me better, who challenged me. So I was doing things the right way, it was just that one thing that was in the way — my addiction. And once that was out of the way, it was — boom! The door blew wide open.”

The actor was accustomed to performing while intoxicated. He once said he never set foot on stage without being on something.

Samuel L. Jackson’s drug use was intense and had expanded to include heroin and cocaine, and he had several overdoses during this period. Fortunately, none were fatal, as they often can be. For example, from October 2023 to September 2024, the CDC reported 87,000 drug overdose deaths.

The Journey to Sobriety

Everything changed in 1991, when Jackson’s 8-year-old daughter found him passed out on the floor, surrounded by drug paraphernalia, after using crack cocaine. He shared the story, saying, “I guess I wanted to get caught. I ended up going to a party, drinking too much tequila, and decided on the way home I needed to get cocaine and level myself out because I was drunk.”

When he came to, he knew something needed to change for the sake of his family. He entered a rehabilitation treatment center, got clean and has been sober ever since.

“I don’t know about deciding to get sober,” Jackson has said, “Because I was trying to get high. My wife and daughter found me lying on the floor. My best friend from high school was a drug counselor and my wife called him, and I was in rehab the next day. I didn’t go kicking and screaming because I was tired.”

To this date, the actor attributes his breakthrough and success to getting sober. Two weeks after leaving rehab, Jackson landed the role of Gator in Spike Lee’s Jungle Fever. Ironically, he played a cocaine addict while freshly sober from that very addiction.

This role was the first to get him attention and led to Pulp Fiction and worldwide fame.

Jackson has said about this time, “For me, I have a direct correlation between getting sober and success because when I was in rehab, Spike Lee called (for 1991’s Jungle Fever). So as soon as that happened — when Jungle Fever happened — I started going to lunch in Hollywood. Or I won that award in Cannes, they created that award in Cannes for me. So my success directly correlates to me getting straight and me getting in touch with who I am and understanding what my talents were and how to tap into them in a positive way and not that negative way that I used to.”

After over 3 decades of sobriety, Jackson has stated he’s never tempted to go back to substances. In my mind, if I pick drugs and alcohol up, all this [success] is going away. Because that’s what kept me from getting here in the first place … So I pray every day — I roll out of bed and get on my knees before I do anything else: ‘God, keep the desire to drink and drug from me this day.’ That’s all I need to say about that.”

Learning From Samuel L. Jackson’s Story

Celebrities have large followings on various platforms and can reach thousands of people. It’s inspiring when they use these platforms to spread important messages.

Samuel L. Jackson didn’t have to share his story of addiction. Doing so took bravery and courage. But his willingness to speak on this topic repeatedly over the years has had a positive impact. He’s helping end the stigma that often surrounds addiction and showing there should be no shame in talking about it.

Perhaps most importantly, the actor is an inspirational example of what recovery can look like. He sought professional treatment, got sober and went on to have an incredibly successful career. His life changed for the better as soon as he asked for help. Despite years of drug use and several overdoses, Jackson’s experience shows it’s never too late to change.

Addiction Treatment at Sunlight Recovery

Samuel L. Jackson’s story is one of hope. You, too, can change everything if you seek professional treatment. Allow the compassionate, experienced staff at Sunlight Recovery to help and guide you to a better tomorrow. Contact us today to learn about our addiction treatment programs.