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Samuel L. Jackson’s Daughter, Zoe, Is an Emmy Award-Winning Producer
Getty / Axelle / Bauer-Griffin / Axelle/Bauer-Griffin
Samuel L. Jackson and his wife, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, have been together for more than half of their lives. The couple began dating in 1970 shortly after meeting each other in college. They tied the knot a decade later in 1980 and welcomed their daughter, Zoe Jackson, in 1982. While many celebrity pairs have come and gone over the years, Samuel and LaTanya have managed to overcome the odds and become one of the longest couples in Hollywood.
In a March 2022 interview with People, LaTanya said she and her husband are in it for the long haul. “In the beginning, we always said the most revolutionary thing that Black people could do was stay together, raise their children with 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. That it’s just children out here being raised by women, which we know is false,” she told the publication. “In order to change that narrative, we made a decision to say, ‘We are going to stay together no matter what. We’ll figure it out.'”
The actors have kept their promise of raising their daughter with both parents present while simultaneously maintaining their Hollywood careers. Now, more than 50 years since Samuel and LaTanya’s love story began, their daughter has grown up to become a star of her own. According to her IMDb page, Zoe is an Emmy Award-winning producer and assistant director who’s worked on some of the biggest reality-TV series around. If you want to learn more about her, scroll through the slideshow to get all of the details.
Getty / Alberto E. Rodriguez
Samuel L. Jackson's Daughter, Zoe Jackson
Samuel’s daughter was born on March 28, 1982. After she was born, the “Pulp Fiction” actor took a career hiatus in order to focus on his family. In a 2010 interview with Esquire, Samuel said the reason he took a break was because he wanted Zoe to have a different childhood than his. “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,” he told the publication at the time.
Over the years, Zoe has attended several public events with her dad. For example, she supported him when he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2000. Zoe also accompanied Samuel to the 1997 Golden Globe Awards, the 2001 premiere of “Dr. Dolittle 2,” and the 2002 premiere of “XXX.” Growing up in the spotlight may have inspired her to break into the entertainment industry herself. According to her IMDb page, Zoe has produced reality shows like “Top Chef,” “The Bachelorette,” “Project Runway,” and “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” She’s been nominated for several awards and even won an Emmy and a PGA award for her work on “RuPaul’s Drag Race.”
In October 2020, Zoe’s career came full circle when Deadline reported that she and her dad were working on a docuseries together called “Life on the Edge” centering on marginalized communities. “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,” the father-daughter duo said at the time.
Although Zoe’s Instagram account appears to be private, her dad once posted about her on his Instagram in celebration of her 39th birthday. “HAPPY BIRTHDAY ZOE DOVE????‼️? 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,” Samuel wrote, alongside a series of photos of his daughter. “I hope you feel this Enormous Virtual Hug fulla LOVE for ya???‼️”
