Legendary actor Samuel L Jackson has admitted he’d rather keep playing characters such as Marvel’s Nick Fury than chase roles that are guaranteed to win Oscars.
The actor, who has featured as Nick Fury for more than a decade, has played significant characters such as Mace Window in the Star Wars prequel trilogy and more recent roles in Kong: Skull Island, and Glass.
The 72-year-old was once nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in Pulp Fiction, however, he says an award isn’t his measure of success.
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He told the Los Angeles Times: “As jaded as I wanted to be about it, you know thinking, ‘Well, I should have won an Oscar for this or should have won for that and it didn’t happen,’ once I got over it many years ago, it wasn’t a big deal for me.”
Jackson added: “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: ‘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.”
Certainly can’t blame the actor who has become iconic for his over-the-top portrayal that has brought films such as Django Unchained and Snakes on a Plane to life.
As Jackson put it: “People go to watch my movies to see how crazy I’m going to be or see how many times I say m**********r. Whatever gets them in the seats.”
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The actor has only ever won an honorary Oscar statue, awarded to him earlier this year at the 2022 Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences’ Governors Awards.
Having appeared in more than 150 films he was awarded for his lifetime service to film.
In an emotional acceptance speech, he said: “I tried to entertain audiences the way Hollywood entertained me. Make them forget their lives for a few hours, be thrilled, awed or excited.”
“When I got this call last year, it was unexpected, but I guarantee you, this thing is going to be cherished.”
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In the past, Jackson has admitted that he believes he deserved an Oscar way before being awarded the honorary recognition, telling The Sunday Times that he believed his role in Pulp Fiction was worthy of the award.
For the time being, he is set to reprise his role as Nicky Fury in the upcoming Disney+ series Secret Invasion.
Topics: Samuel L Jackson, Marvel, Academy Awards, Oscars, TV and Film
Jayden Collins