Samuel L. Jackson, wife LaTanya Richardson, and daughter Zoe Jackson at the 23rd Annual American Cinematheque Awards in 2008.Photo:Steve Granitz/WireImage
Steve Granitz/WireImage
Samuel L. Jacksonis a proud family man.
The Hollywood actor and his wife of over four decades,LaTanya Richardson Jackson, share one child together: a daughter named Zoe, 41.
“In the beginning, we always said the most revolutionary thing that Black people could do wasstay together, raise their childrenwith the nucleus of having a father and a mother, since everybody likes to pretend that that’s not the dynamic of the African American family,” LaTanya previously told PEOPLE of her and Samuel’s marriage.
While Zoe grew up in the public eye, attending red carpet events from a young age – including the 2000 ceremony for herdad’s staron the Hollywood Walk of Fame – she opted for a career behind the camera. Despite her low-key lifestyle, she still finds plenty of time to spend with her famous parents.
“Shemakes me laughlike nobody else,” Samuel previously told PEOPLE.
Zoe even quarantined with her parents during the COVID-19 pandemic, cooking for and entertaining her parents.
“Your presence & persistence, lemon bars & streaming suggestions were lockdown gifts that made the year bearable. You always made me know, things were going to be alright,” hecaptioned part of an Instagram poston Zoe’s 39th birthday in 2021.
So who is Zoe Jackson? Here is everything to know about Samuel L. Jackson’s daughter.
She was born on March 28, 1982
Samuel L. Jackson and daughter Zoe at the Los Angeles Film Festival in 2004.John Sciulli/WireImage
John Sciulli/WireImage
“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 what informs us staying married for thirty years,” hetoldEsquirein 2010.
She is an Emmy Award-winning producer
Samuel Jackson, Zoe Jackson and LaTanya Jackson.Johnny Nunez/WireImage
Johnny Nunez/WireImage
Her credits include working on shows such asProject Runway,Top Chef,Chopped,Funny or Die,Project Greenlight: A New GenerationandRuPaul’s Drag Race,the latter of which she won anEmmy Awardfor in 2021 and a Producers Guild of America Award in 2022.
“Our daughter, Zoe, is like us in that she has a strong will, work ethic and sense of self,” Samuel previouslytoldThe Guardian.
She studied at the French Culinary Institute
LaTonya Richardson Jackson and daughter Zoe Jackson.LaTonya Richardson Jackson Instagram
LaTonya Richardson Jackson Instagram
In addition to graduating from Vassar College, Zoe also attended the prestigious French Culinary Institute that same year. Her dad – who occasionally is the recipient of her hard work in the kitchen – has a great appreciation for her culinary talent.
“Having her home during the pandemic was such a blessing. She was making us lemon bars, feeding us and making us laugh,” Samuel previously told PEOPLE.
She enjoys boating
Samuel L. Jackson and daughter Zoe Jackson.Samuel L. Jackson Instagram
Samuel L. Jackson Instagram
When Zoe gets some down time, she enjoys hanging out with her parents – especially on the water. She can frequently be seen with them soaking up the sun while sailing to places such as the Amalfi Coast.
The husband and wife halt work for part of the summer, making it a point to get everyone together for an outing. Samuel has only one rule for the excursion: “Don’t wake anybody up. You sleep when you sleep. Then we come together and eat,” he told PEOPLE in 2022.
She gives her dad social media advice
Samuel L. Jackson & daughter Zoe in 2002.Jean-Paul Aussenard/WireImage
Jean-Paul Aussenard/WireImage
While Zoe keeps a minimal social media profile, her father has a more active presence. He regularly shares his thoughts with his millions of followers onInstagramandX(formerly Twitter), which can — at times — draw criticism. Though theIron Manactor can stand up for himself, Zoe advised him to take a different route.
“My daughter had to teach me that I don’t respond to trolls. But if somebody says something really nasty about me, I retweet it and let my followers handle it,” hetoldMetro UK.
Samuel thanked her in his BET Lifetime Achievement Award speech
Samuel L. Jackson accepts the Lifetime Achievement Award onstage during the 2016 BET Awards.Kevin Winter/BET/Getty
Kevin Winter/BET/Getty
During his acceptance speech, he thanked his wife and daughter for helping him recover from adrug addiction, making his extensive career possible.
“The two women that actually found me passed out on the floor after I left somebody’s bachelor party, put my ass in rehab the next day, and supported me and pushed me and give me a reason to get up and go and chase it day after day after day,” he said.
She collaborates with her father
Samuel L. Jackson and Zoe Jackson at the 23rd annual American Cinematheque show in 2008.Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty
Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty
The father-daughter duo have teamed up over the years, first working together in 2012 when Zoe produced an episode ofFunny or Die, featuring her dad andAnne Hathaway.
The pair worked together again in 2020 to create a docuseries calledLife on the Edge, which centered around marginalized communities and gang culture.
“No one has ever looked at these groups from a fresh perspective – from the inside out. These are young people trying to find a place in a chaotic world up against extraordinary odds. I can’t think of stories more worthy of telling,” Samuel and Zoe said in a joint statement.
source: people.com
