Samuel L Jackson is a bankable star and is no doubt among the highest-grossing actors in the history of cinema. Known for his meticulous acting, the Marvel star has managed to stay on the top of the world ‘grossing’ game with his notable roles across genres.
However, there was a time when his reign as the highest-grossing star was in jeopardy. It was the legend Harrison Ford who had dared challenge Jackson’s supremacy. Hence to get his title back, the Secret Invasion star came up with a brilliant plan only for it to end up being a failed venture.
Why Samuel L Jackson Wanted To Star In Indiana Jones
Samuel L Jackson is one of the highest-grossing actors and has multiple superhit credits to his name. Known for his brilliant acting talent and effortless portrayal, the superstar has been a part of franchises like Marvel Cinematic Universe and Star Wars, which has easily earned him a top spot in the world of cinema.
The Incredibles star now finds himself ranked second in the worldwide top-grossing actors’ list, defeated only by his popular character’s creator, Stan Lee. However, there was once a time when he held the top spot and was challenged by Harrison Ford for it.
To get back to being number one, Jackson figured the best way to get back his top spot would be to have a short feature or cameo in Ford’s superhit franchise Indiana Jones. Hence, in an attempt to get his spot back, Samuel L Jackson planned to star in Indiana Jones. But he ended up being disappointed.
Harrison Ford Did Not Allow Samuel L Jackson To Star In Indiana Jones
It is no secret that Harrison Ford is competitive when it comes to his job. Counted among the top actors in the world, Ford was once the reigning champion of the box office. Hence it comes as a no-brainer when he left behind Samuel L Jackson in the race to become the world’s top-grossing actor. In a desperate attempt to save himself, Jackson went to the franchise’s director George Lucas.
“George said, ‘Well, if you wanna stay in front of Harrison then we’ve got to figure out a way to get you in Raiders.’ So now they’re shooting Raiders and I’ve been calling him; he won’t return my calls. Can you believe it? He’s dogging me.”
Jackson added how he was only demanding a small cameo and noting too much,
“All I want to do is run across screen, I don’t have to say anything. I just wanna run through the movie, get my name in the credits, so I can stay in front of Harrison.”
While we don’t know whether it was Ford or Lucas who didn’t let him star in Indiana Jones, we do know that eventually, Jackson has managed to become the highest grossing-actors of all time and Ford is nowhere to be found on the list.
The first four movies of the Indiana Jones franchise are available to stream on Disney+.
Source: Irish Examiner
