We continue our latest series of examining some of the works outside the saga of some of our most beloved actors in a galaxy far, far away.
Today we continue with one of the most successful actors of all time – Samuel L. Jackson.
Samuel Leroy Jackson was born on 21st December 1948 in Washington D.C though he was raised in Tennessee. A passionate social activist for all his life, Jackson was an usher at the funeral of Martin Luther King Jr. His private life has largely remained just that, with his work as an actor doing most of the talking for his public life. Jackson takes the crown for the highest grossing actor of all time with his movies accumulating a total of 27 billion dollars at the box office.
Jurassic Park (1993)
Many people seem to forget that Jackson was a part of the supporting players in this groundbreaking film playing the role of John Arnold. At this stage, who hasn’t seen Jurassic Park? It was the film that paved the way for the prequel trilogy after George Lucas saw the work that was done on bringing the dinosaurs to life and it has spawned a dino saga in itself. A new film, Jurassic World: Rebirth is due in cinemas next year with Rogue One director Gareth Edwards at the helm. For some odd reason, Jurassic Park always seems to play over the Christmas season, so it’s soon time to walk with the dinos again.
Pulp Fiction (1994)
One of the most culturally recognized films of the 1990s is surely still Tarantino’s most acclaimed. The cast is completed by John Travolta, Uma Thurman and Bruce Willis and tells four stories of crime across Los Angeles. The film is told out of narrative order and revitalised Travolta’s career and earned him, Thurman and Jackson all Oscar nominations in their respective categories. The film was a box office phenomenon earning $235 million against an $8.5 million budget and has often been cited as the most influential American movie ever made. Entertainment Weekly once named the film as the best film made since 1983 and it was recently selected for preservation at the National Congress in the US.
A Time to Kill (1996)
This legal crime drama in based on the book of the same name by John Grisham and features a top-notch class including Jackson, Matthew McConaughey, Sandra Bullock, Kevin Spacey and father and son duo – the late Donald Sutherland and Kiefer Sutherland. The story is a very loose update of To Kill a Mockingbird in which a black man in the deep south of America is wrongly accused of rape and murder against a young girl. The film became a subject of controversy in France where it was seen as taking sympathy towards the death penalty and a question mark was added to the title making the film known as A Time to Kill? Jackson was nominated for numerous awards for his role and the film was a box-office smash.
Snakes on a Plane (2006)
What once began as a B-movie joke turned into something of a phenomenon for the time. The film’s title, casting, plot and general existence caught the attention of internet film buffs and gained a mass following even before production had begun. Why wouldn’t it? Here’s the plot. Samuel L Jackson verses some snakes on a plane. What more do you need? This was the first film where producers listened to the fanbase and ordered additional reshoots and footage based on the suggestions of message boards and incorporated them into the film. The title was on the only reason that Jackson took the job but it was only the working title. Halfway through production the title was changed to Pacific Air Flight 121. Jackson was having none of it. At his request, the producers changed it back to its working title and delighted the fanbase. This film remains one of the most recognized in Jackson’s career.
As Nick Fury in the MCU (2008 – present)
Outside of Star Wars, Jackson is most synonymous in the Marvel Universe as Nick Fury. Jackson made his entrance to audiences as Fury in the post-credits of 2008’s Iron Man. He had originally signed on for a nine-film appearance but as of today, he’s appeared in eleven films in total and several of the Marvel shows including Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D and What if? Sam Jackson is a fan of all things Marvel. In an age when most actors want to chase the drama at the Oscars, Jackson has been on record as saying he enjoys playing Fury the most. The role was also quite literally made for Jackson as in 2002 the Marvel Comics Series designed their ‘ultimate’ version of Nick Fury, a character first introduced in 1963 and based the likeness on that of Jackson himself.
The Negotiator (1998)
I’ve saved this till last as it’s my favourite of the bunch with powerhouse performances from leads Sam Jackson and Kevin Spacey. The film opened to positive reviews and had a strong box office off a minor budget. It tells the story of a hostage negotiator, Jackson, who is informed that his partners in the police precinct he works at are embezzling cash and Jackson himself is framed for it. Through a series of events, Jackson’s character then finds himself taking hostages himself at the police headquarters and wants to prove his innocence. The team then have to call a top negotiator, Spacey, to negotiate with a top negotiator. Its absolutely first class stuff with the cast on fine form and neat action sequences topped off with a polished script and a brilliant ending. Highly recommend.
Jackson continues to be prolific and has two films to be released next year. A science fiction dystopian thriller, Afterburn, and the action drama, The Beast. He is also adamant that Mace Windu is absolutely, 100%, categorically NOT DEAD. So…watch this space.
