Samuel L Jackson backs Prince's Trust

HOLLYWOOD star Samuel L Jackson has called on young Londoners to overcome the barriers in front them and revealed the troubles he faced as a teenager.

The prolific actor has been recruited by Prince Charles's charity The Prince's Trust to encourage London's youth to seek support from organisations such as the trust to help them achieve their goals.

Jackson, 59, told the Evening Standard: "Like many young people in London I faced lots of barriers. They included growing up in a segregated southern state of America. I faced racism my whole adolescence.

"Everyone encounters negativity at some point. The most unhelpful thing someone said to me was that my goals of being an actor were unachievable."

He said that, despite facing bigotry, he had enjoyed school and been a popular student. He said: "I had perfect attendance from 4th grade to 12th grade. I was relatively popular and president of the student body in my senior year. I graduated from college with a degree in theatre.

"The best advice that was given to me was that I had to be 10 times smarter, braver and more polite to be equal. So I did."

In a career spanning more than 50 films, Jackson has gone on to become one of Hollywood's most bankable stars. His comments came as the Prince's Trust Youth Week draws to a close. He added: "I support the trust because it taps into unrealised potential and positively encourages young people who are in the most need. I support Youth Week because I believe that most young people do make a positive difference to society."

The national campaign was set up to improve the perception of young people and highlight the positive work many are doing. Other celebrities to have backed the campaign include Jamelia, Emma Bunton, Rio Ferdinand and Shaun Wright-Phillips.