Samuel L. Jackson is famous for playing characters with foul mouths and who are completely tough guys. His persona is so great thatMarvelcast him as Nick Fury in theMCU, a role he was born to play and aced.
While the great actor has been typecast into a set type of role, he can play roles outside his comfort zone. He has showcased this in some of the best movies he’s acted in. From a father taking revenge for his daughter to a businessperson who tries to get his family back, the actor’s portfolio is quite diverse.
8Changing Lanes
Doyle Gipson
Changing Lanes follows the lives of a businessperson, Doyle Gipson, and a lawyer, Gavin Banek, whose lives get intertwined after they get into an accident while both are headed to important meetings. Gavin tries to offer a blank cheque to Doyle because he needs to reach court, but the latter refuses and says he wants to do things the right way.
A minor accident causes both parties to have issues when they reach court. Gavin misplaces an important document that he needs to find or face consequences, while Doyle being late causes him to lose custody of his sons. The rest of the story follows the duo taking revenge against each other because they blame each other for their tragedies.
7A Time To Kill
Carl Lee Hailey
A Time to Kill follows the court trial of Carl Lee Hailey, a father to a 10-year-old, who killed two men to take revenge for his daughter. The case is turned into a show when District Attorney Rufus Buckley wants to use it to excel in his political aspirations. He wants Hailey to get the death penalty and, because of an all-white jury, it looks like he may achieve his goal.
Haliey hires a white lawyer, Jake Brigance, who he hopes will be able to sway the jury in his favor. When the case starts, both the accused and the lawyer are hounded by protesters who try to harm them physically. The case becomes tolling for both Hailey and Jake, who tries his best to prove Hailey was right to take revenge for the heinous crime.
6The Hitman’s Bodyguard
Darius Kincaid
The Hitman’s Bodyguard features the comedic Ryan Reynolds as the fallen-from-grace bodyguard Michael Bryce, who has to protect Samuel L. Jackson’s Darius Kincaid. The story opens up with Vladislav Dukhovich, the Belarusian dictator, on trial for crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court.
With no evidence available to prove the dictator’s crimes, authorities seek the incarcerated hitman Kincaid’s aid, who agrees in return for the release of his girlfriend from prison. The movie follows a cat-and-mouse chase where Bryce and Kincaid are constantly under threat. The duo’s comedic compatibility is on a whole other level, and the ridiculous tone of the movie makes for an amazing experience.
5Kingsman: The Secret Service
Richmond Valentine
Kingsman: The Secret Service tells the tale of a secret spy organization known as the Kingsman, which was founded by the British elite when they lost their heirs in the First World War. In the present day, Harry Hart investigates a climate change expert and the death of a fellow agent who was tasked with protecting him.
Samuel L. Jackson portrays the tech billionaire Richmond Valentine, who believes humans are a virus and must be eradicated. He wants to use a free SIM card that he is offering to the public to control who lives and who dies in his bid to control the population.
4The Hateful Eight
Major Marquis Warren
The Hateful Eight takes place in the Old West with Samuel L. Jackson playing the role of Major Marquis Warren, a bounty hunter who seeks assistance from another when he gets stuck in a blizzard. Most of the story takes place in a cabin, and as the blizzard continues, the truths of the various characters are revealed.
The movie follows Tarantino’s usual style, and each character is different from how they appear. The Hateful Eight is significantly violent and has themes of revenge, making you wonder who is right. The cabin setting feels claustrophobic and, in a way, makes it seem like it’s the reason why the characters start showing their true faces.
3Die Hard With A Vengeance
Zeus
Die Hard With A Vengeance is the third movie in the series, which brings back the action hero John McClane. In this entry, the main character is paired with Samuel L. Jackson’s Zeus Carver. The duo is forced to play a game of Simon Says because of a bomb threat. As the two continue to take on challenges and defuse bombs, McClane is informed that the culprit is linked to someone from his past.
The last challenge by Simon is in return for the location of a bomb that was apparently placed in a school. However, McClane figures out that the police are being diverted. The real reason for the bomb threats and distracting the NYPD is so the terrorists can steal from the Federal Reserve.
2Django Unchained
Stephen
Django Unchained is the story of a freed slave, Django, who partners with Dr. King Schultz, a bounty hunter. After training, Django is able to claim bounties, and Schultz promises his help in finding the former’s wife, Broomhilda. The duo discovers Broomhilda is at Candyland and travels there to free her.
Samuel L. Jackson plays Stephen, the villainous butler of Leonardo DiCaprio’s Calvin J. Candie. While Candie is obviously a villain, Stephen is no less an evil character, and he takes pleasure in hurting his own people. He is a complex character as he is also a victim and a slave, but he sees himself as second only to Candie.
1Pulp Fiction
Jules Winnfield
Pulp Fiction is the story of two hitmen and partners, Vincent Vega and Jules Winnfield. The movie tells the story in a random pattern and starts in a diner that is held up by a couple. You then go through a sequence of events that happened in the lives of the main characters. From retrieving a briefcase for their boss, gangster Marsellus Wallace, to saving his wife from an overdose.
The movie’s non-linear narrative and iconic dialogue have earned it a cult following, witheven a video game adaptation. The two main characters are especially memorable for their humorous violence. Pulp Fiction is considered amasterpiece in Tarantino’s portfolio.
