The movies Samuel L Jackson refuses to make: “No thanks”
Samuel L Jackson is an icon of the film industry who has earned a legendary status through his work in films like Pulp Fiction, Django Unchained and Goodfellas. After years of history-making monologues in the filmography of Quentin Tarantino and supporting work in the Marvel universe, the actor has carved out an irreplaceable career. With performances in some of the most celebrated modern films, Jackson has shown a creative intuition that always takes him on exciting new paths, and because of this, the actor has described the one role that he would ever accept.
Many actors have been accused of ‘Oscar-baiting’ over the years, with some projects being accepted purely on the basis that they will lead to a showering of awards. Films like Pieces of a Woman, Oppenheimer, and Green Book have been given this label after extreme character studies or moral lip service intended to manipulate mass audiences and the esteemed members of the Academy.
While it sounds like a hollow motivator for any actor or filmmaker, many people have fallen into this trap, with a frustrating number of creatives who haven’t received the same level of critical acclaim for far greater performances (I’m still upset about Timothée Chalamet’s Oscar snub for Beautiful Boy and Call Me By Your Name).
Jackson was nominated for an Oscar in 1995 for his performance in Pulp Fiction, but hasn’t since been tempted by further critical acclaim. While some actors spend years of their careers searching for one role that will finally earn them the right amount of external validation and acclaim, Jackson was never swayed by the allure of another trophy. Perhaps it is because of this that he has stayed true to his passions and forged an authentic career path, choosing projects for reasons that align with his interests and not his ego.
When describing this, Jackson said, “I was never going to let the Oscars be a measure of my success or failure as an actor. My yardstick of success is my happiness: Am I satisfied with what I’m doing? I’m not doing statue-chasing movies. You know [whispers]: ‘If you do this movie, you’ll win an Oscar.’ No, thanks. I’d rather be Nick Fury. Or having fun being Mace Windu with a lightsaber in my hand.”
The actor even expanded on this idea by saying that it isn’t an honour to be nominated for an Oscar but to win, not seeing any point in chasing this level of attention. After recently starring in Malcolm David Washington’s screen adaptation of The Piano Lesson, the actor is quite content with his work as it is, without considering its potential success during awards season.
After years in the business, Jackson seems to have the healthiest approach to his craft, caring more about the work and his definition of success instead of being infiltrated by the often flimsy Hollywood definitions of what makes a great actor. Jackson has done more than enough to earn the right to be happy with himself, and because of this, there is no point in accepting the infamous Oscar bait.
