Samuel L Jackson Nearly Lost Iconic Pulp Fiction Role To Another Cast Member

Jackson plays Jules Winnifried in the classic Quentin Tarantino film - which not only saw his stock rise in Hollywood, but also educated millions of film fans about the French name for a McDonald's quarter pounder with cheese, not to mention Ezekiel 25:17.

But it could have been so very different. As Jackson told LADbible, he nearly lost the role to another actor... who also ended up in Pulp Fiction.

"I ended up auditioning for it. I wasn't supposed to," he said.

"(Tarantino) theoretically said he wrote it for me then he gave it to me... then some other guy came in and they thought he was brilliant. So then it was, 'We're thinking about casting this other guy now so you need to come in and audition.' It became an 'acting contest'.

"Who was it? Another actor. Who didn't get the job. He's actually in the movie though. He's in the movie...(grins)."

Who could it have been?

Well, if they were looking for another super-cool African-American actor capable of delivering dialogue in a cool but terrifying way, the towering Ving Rhames did end up playing criminal boss Marsellus Wallace in the 1994 hit.

Bruce Willis plays a wise-cracking tough guy well enough, but would he have bounced off Travolta quite so effectively? Jackson and Willis would later team up in the Die Hard franchise - the film that Jackson said 'changed the course of [his] career'.

Christopher Walken is also a pretty formidable badass.

But you've got to concede that Tarantino et al made the right choice picking 'The King of Cool' in the role.

When LADbible caught up with him, Jackson was in the UK to promote upcoming M. Night Shyamalan film Glass - the final part of a trilogy that stretches back to 2000's Unbreakable.

But Jackson is also a big fan of BBC hits Peaky Blinders - which stars Cillian Murphy - and Idris Elba's Luther.

"Do I watch UK shows? Like Peaky Blinders and Luther?" he said. "Yes I do. I love those shows."

Asked if he'd take parts in either - or both - if he was approached, he said: "I would. Of course! I like those shows a lot."

As well as Glass, which reunites Jackson's psychopathic Elijah Price with Bruce Willis' hero David Dunn, the actor will also star in two huge films from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) early this year.

Jackson will reprise his role as Nick Fury in Captain Marvel and Avengers: Endgame. These will be the final two films in Jackson's nine-movie deal with the studio, although he didn't rule out a return to the character.

"I'm a gunslinger, I'll go where the movies are," said Jackson.

Watch the video above for the full chat.