No one needs to be told that Samuel L. Jackson is awesome, because everyone knows it. But it’s always fun to reflect how much (and why) we love this actor. And since he’s one of the stars of your Sunday night movie this weekend, there’s no time like the present.
- He’s the supeheroiest MCU actor of them all
Not only does Mr. Jackson have eight appearances in the Marvel Cinematic Universe under his belt, but he’s had memorable moments (both heroic and villainous) in superhero-style movies like Unbreakable, The Incredibles, The Spirit, Kingsman: The Secret Service, and the upcoming Incredibles sequel.
- He’s been on a plane. With snakes.
Snakes on a Plane sounds ridiculous. Snakes on a Plane is ridiculous; so ridiculous you can’t help loving it – which is what probably went through Mr. Jackson’s mind when he saw the title of the script and got on board without reading it. Only a very awesome, self-assured actor could do that.
- He’s a Tarantino regular.
Hollywood is full of ongoing director-actor collaborations (we even wrote about it here). One of these is the awesome alliance between Mr. Jackson and cult director Quentin Tarantino. The former first worked with the latter in True Romance, which was penned by Tarantino. A year later Mr. Jackson appeared in Mr. Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction. It has since become a cult classic, and also led Mr. Jackson to an Oscar nomination for his unforgettable performance as Jules Winnfield. Besides this cult hit, Jackson has worked with Tarantino in Jackie Brown, Kill Bill Vol. 2, Inglorious Basterds, Django Unchained, and The Hateful Eight.
- He’s a Spike Lee regular.
But Mr. Jackson is not only Tarantino’s go-to-guy, he’s also a firm favourite with another directing luminary: Spike Lee. The pair has worked together in School Daze, Do the Right Thing, Mo’ Better Blues, Jungle Fever, Oldboy, and Chi-Raq.
- He was on Generations.
During a sketch on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Mr. Jackson joked that he would move to South Africa if Donald Trump became president. Although he wasn’t serious, he does still enjoy our shores, and even popped into an episode of local soapie Generations in 2013. In addition to the show, he also appeared in South African movies Kite and Zambezia. He’s even been interviewed by our very own Lalla Hirayama. Check it out here and here.
- He’s MR. franchise.
Name a cool franchise, and Mr. Jackson has probably been there and made it more awesome. Besides his presence in the MCU, he’s also appeared in franchise films such as Die Hard: With a Vengeance, three Star Wars’ instalments, and three xXx movies.
- He is an awesome actor.
If Samuel L. Jackson is in a movie, it’s almost a safe bet it’ll make a ton of money – he is the highest grossing actor in Hollywood after all. But he’s earned that place thanks to his talent. Whether he’s radiating cool, calm authority as Nick Fury or striking down great vengeance and furious anger in a Tarantino movie, this is a man who can play roles filled with fury, fright, and humour, while also able to take on quieter more contemplative parts like those in The Red Violin and Black Snake Moan.
Watch Samuel L. Jackson in your #SundayNightMovie Kong: Skull Island on 15 April at 20:30 on M-Net channel 101.
You can also catch Mr. Jackson on M-Net Movies Marvel pop-up channel 109 from 13 - 22 April.
Image credit: Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic.