Samuel L. Jackson, popular for his dynamic roles in action-packed films such as Pulp Fiction, Django Unchained, and The Hateful Eight, recently celebrated legendary actor, Bruce Willis on his 70th birthday, which marked on Wednesday, March 19. The actor took the opportunity to honor Willis whom he had the opportunity to work with in the third film of then Die Hard franchise.
In his tribute, Jackson reflected on a piece of advice he got from the Moonlighting star, which he claimed was a very valuable one as it played an important role in his journey to achieve an outstanding professional career.
Samuel L. Jackson says Bruce Willis advised him to seek enduring acting roles
In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, the 76-year-old recalled the career-defining conversation he had with Willis during their collaboration on the production set of Die Hard With A Vengeance in 1994. He explained that The Sixth Sense star shared insights with him on how to navigate the unpredictable nature of the movie industry, emphasizing the importance of seeking enduring roles that could serve as a cushioning during career downturns.
To elaborate his point, Willis referred to his own role as John McClane in the Die Hard franchise as a good example of a character that can define an actor’s career also provided lasting relevance and opportunities. He also mentioned Arnold Schwarzenegger’s legacy with the Terminator series and Sylvester Stallone’s double achievements with both his Rocky and Rambo characters.
Samuel L. Jackson claims Bruce Willis’ advice came at the right time
Just like Willis had advised, Jackson landed his own signature character when he was cast as Nick Fury in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the post-credit scene of 2008’s Iron Man, a role that has now become one of the most iconic ones in his career.
Reflecting on the role, Jackson acknowledged that it was not until he got the part and signed a deal with the production company that he realized he was now fully living in the reality of the earlier advice given to him by Bruce Willis.