In a heartfelt revelation, Samuel L. Jackson shared the sage advice he received from Bruce Willis while filming the 1994 blockbuster Die Hard With a Vengeance. Willis imparted wisdom that would resonate deeply with Jackson in the years to come. "He told me, '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,'" Jackson recounted to Vanity Fair during a special feature celebrating Willis' 70th birthday.
Willis elaborated on his advice, citing iconic roles from other action stars: "Arnold [Schwarzenegger]’s got Terminator. Sylvester [Stallone]’s got Rocky and Rambo. I’ve got John McClane." Initially, Jackson didn't fully grasp the significance of this advice until he landed the role of Nick Fury. "It didn’t occur to me until I got that Nick Fury role — and I had a nine-picture deal to be Nick Fury — that, 'Oh, I’m doing what Bruce said. I’ve got this character now,'" he reflected.
Jackson first introduced the world to his portrayal of Nick Fury with a cameo in the post-credits scene of 2008's Iron Man. His presence as the character expanded significantly in 2010's Iron Man 2. Since then, Jackson has embraced the role in an impressive total of 10 films, three TV series, and two video games. His most recent performances as Nick Fury can be seen in 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.
In a humorous reflection on his extensive contract, Jackson shared with GQ in September 2024 his initial concerns about completing the nine-film deal before his time ran out. "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 quipped. Little did he know the rapid pace at which Marvel would churn out its cinematic universe. "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," he concluded, marveling at the unexpected efficiency of the Marvel machine.
