Samuel L. Jackson is the highest-grossing actor of all time. The iconic actor, who made his feature film debut in 1972 independent drama Together for Days, has seen his name so far attached to 142 films, which have amassed more than $27 billion in worldwide ticket sales.
The big reason behind the eye-watering figure is Jackson’s frequent appearances in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, wherein he portrays Nick Fury. However, when fans think about the veteran actor, the first character that pops into their mind, more often than not, is Jules. A hitman, who tends to deliver sermons before killing his targets.
It won’t be far-fetched to say, Pulp Fiction is his career-defining stint. Yet, as far as Jackson’s opinion is concerned the 1994 cult classic sits below another crime thriller.
Why Samuel L. Jackson Considers Bruce Willis’ Action Hit Better Than Pulp Fiction
The movie following a series of incidents in the realm of the Los Angeles underworld changed the lives of many talents.
While Reservoir Dogs underlined Quentin Tarantino’s eccentric style, his next directorial venture put him on the map. It also paved the way for John Travolta to make a comeback in the industry which seemingly forgot about him after scores of flops in the early 80s.
Further, it is considered Samuel L. Jackson‘s breakthrough film; to this day Pulp Fiction remains the only movie for which Jackson has earned an Oscar nod. However, the 75-year-old believes Bruce Willis‘ Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995) had a bigger impact on his career.
Speaking to MasterClass, the Snakes on a Plane star explained:
“Pulp was great. Die Hard was better. When I’m doing Die Hard I’m talking to Bruce, and Bruce goes, ‘When this movie comes out, it’s going to change your life.’ And I go, ‘Well, what about when Pulp Fiction comes out? We’re in that.’ And he’s like, ‘Pulp is going to be good, but this movie is going to change your life.’ And sure enough, Pulp comes out. It’s great. I get the Oscar nomination. All is wonderful, well, and good. But when Die Hard comes out, it’s the highest-grossing movie in the world.”
Jackson elucidated further by revealing that fans loved his character, Zeus, a hotheaded shopkeeper who joins John McClane on his mission so much that they yelled his lines at him on the street.
The success of Die Hard 3, which made $366.1 million globally, also put him in a better negotiation position. Different “things” started to come his way, making this movie his real “breakout” stint.
Samuel L. Jackson Nearly Lost the Part of Jules to Pulp Fiction Co-star
Zeus may take the cake when it comes to being the most influential role of Jackson’s career. Still, that doesn’t mean Jules is any less special. And to bag the part, he had to go to extreme lengths.
It’s understood (via IMDb) that Tarantino wrote the role specifically for Jackson. However, after a great audition from Paul Calderon, the filmmaker came close to changing his mind.
When Jackson heard this, he flew to Los Angeles and auditioned again to convince Tarantino he was the ideal fit to bring the hilarious hitman to life. Eventually, Calderon was handed the role of Paul, a supporting character who works at crime boss Marsellus Wallace’s strip club as a bartender.
