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In a fascinating exchange of wisdom between Hollywood legends, Samuel L. Jackson shared a pivotal piece of advice given to him by Bruce Willis while they were filming the 1994 action blockbuster Die Hard With a Vengeance. In a special feature by Vanity Fair celebrating Willis’ 70th birthday, Jackson recounted Willis' sage advice: "Hopefully you’ll be able to find a character that, when you make bad movies and they don’t make any money, you can always go back to this character everybody loves."
Willis then pointed to other iconic roles in cinema, noting that Arnold Schwarzenegger had Terminator, Sylvester Stallone had Rocky and Rambo, and he himself had John McClane. This advice didn’t resonate with Jackson until he landed the role of Nick Fury in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Jackson signed a nine-picture deal to portray the character, which he realized was the kind of role Willis was referring to.
Jackson first appeared as Nick Fury in a post-credits scene in 2008's Iron Man. He then took center stage in 2010's Iron Man 2. Since his debut, Jackson has reprised the role in a total of 10 films, three TV series, and two video games. His most recent portrayals include the 2023 film The Marvels, the series Secret Invasion, and a voice role in the Season 2 finale of the animated series Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur.
Reflecting on his Marvel journey, Jackson humorously admitted to GQ in September 2024 that he initially wondered if he would live long enough to fulfill his nine-picture contract. "I knew I had a nine-picture deal when Kevin [Feige] said, he was like, ‘We wanna offer you a nine-picture deal,’ I was like, 'How long I gotta stay alive to make nine movies?'" he recalled. The rapid pace of the MCU's production surprised him, as he didn't expect to complete nine films in just over two years. "It's not the quickest process in the world and people don't do it, so I didn't know they were gonna make nine movies in like two-and-a-half years. Which is kind of crazy. I was like 'Oh s—t, I'm using up my contracts!' but it worked out," Jackson concluded.
