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[Samuel L. Jackson](https://www.masterclass.com/classes/samuel-l-jackson-teaches-acting) is arguably one of Hollywood’s biggest actors. Jackson first achieved breakout success when he played Gator in Spike Lee’s *Jungle Fever*, then went on to earn an Oscar nomination for his performance as Jules in *Pulp Fiction*. Since then, Jackson has acted in more than 100 films, playing such iconic characters as Mace Windu in *Star Wars* and Nick Fury in *The Avengers*.

Below, Samuel L. Jackson recounts key moments in the filmmaking process of some of his most celebrated movies, from making tough character choices to working on set with directors.

Samuel L. Jackson’s Top Ten Movies: List and Full Filmography

 Somewhere along this journey, you may see some personality quirks that are weird. [MUSIC PLAYING] Every scene in a movie is trying to accomplish something. Do all the things that you have in your mind that will inform the audience when they see this character. Oh, that's who that is. After taking this class, you will be able to walk into a room, present your best self, and be happy with the result. We are living in a world of make believe. So make it up. When you're at home preparing, you break down what he's trying to convey-- the person he's speaking to and to the audience. The truth is, it's who you are inflicted upon the truth of the dialogue that's written there. And we all have comfort zones. The hard work, sometimes, as an actor is getting out of your comfort zone. If you have a personal biography for your character, that's a way to get inside of it and figure out, you know, why does he talk this way? Is he a loner? Does he have friends? Is he a cynic? Learn what acting techniques are in other cultures. You might find it more interesting than the way we normally do it. In an audition, don't say to them, I don't think my character would do that because your character won't do that because you won't be hired, and you won't be getting that check. I made a decision early in my life that I wasn't gonna live and die in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Being able to embody a lot of different characters in film has been very cathartic, being able to let go of the anger or the disappointment that I had in my life. Essentially, we're entertainers. Find a way to make yourself special. Give it something that will distract people from their daily lives in a way that allows them to live in this moment with us for a while and leave there energized by it and love it. I'm Samuel L. Jackson, and this is my MasterClass.

Jackson on playing iconic hitman Jules Winnfield in Quentin Tarantino’s now-classic film: 

“Jules has been killing people for a long time—since he was a kid. He and Marcellus grew up gang bangers together. So he's been killing for Marcellus for a long time. And his mom probably told him, ‘I told you about hanging out with that Marcellus boy,’ but he kept hanging out with that Marcellus boy, because he was going to church, too. And he has that whole God thing that comes in; he's got some guilt, because his parents put that shit in him, you know? But he can't walk around with it. He's gotta be Jules.”

Jackson on playing a conflicted hostage negotiator:

“It's devastating. It's that kinda shit. It’s ‘Maybe he'll listen to me, until he breaks your fucking heart.’ Let's explore that depth of ‘it's fucked up’.”


Jackson on bringing humanity to the role of crack addict Gator Purify:

 “Spike had a different conception of who Gator was. When I got there and I started talking to him about who I wanted Gator to be, and how I wanted him to use his parents, his brother, all the people around him to aid his addiction, or just get money from them or use them or manipulate them in whatever way. And I would look high in a way, but I'm not gonna play I'm fucked up all the time. Because when you're not fucked up and you're trying to get something, it's another kind of desperation and cunning. And that's how I wanted to play Gator.... because everybody had a Gator in their family. And I consider that a job well done.”
Jackson on infusing a performance with real-life experience: 

“In *Time To Kill*, that was my grandfather and his brothers. These old country dudes that work the land, work a hard job. They’re pigeon-toed, kinda stooped, arms loose, loping, swaying from side to side. You know, kind of a hangdog look. Brow wrinkled because they’re listening to you but thinking something.”




Jackson on working with Quentin Tarantino:

“If you want to work on the most harmonious process in the world, you should do a Tarantino movie. The one thing that I think is great about Quentin's sets is that there are no electronics. There's nothing with an on/off switch on set. So when he says, ‘cut,’ nobody pulls out their phone and starts texting and looking at stuff. You have to leave your phone at a phone station they have outside. They play music between setups. So people sing, people dance. You talk to everybody around about their day, or whatever they're talking about. It makes his set a better place to be.”


Jackson on making character choices: 

“Being an upright, nerdy kinda guy, I decided to make him slew footed. And he walked upright in a specific way with his feet like that. And he wobbled when he walked. And his glasses—he pushed his glasses up on his face a lot.”
Jackson on withholding judgment about his characters: 

“When Quentin called me and told me to read it, he didn't tell me anything about it. And I finished, and I called him back, and I said, ‘So you want me to play the most despicable negro in cinematic history?’ And he was like, ‘Well, yeah.’ And I go, ‘Okay, let's do it.’ So I can't judge my characters. People have their own reasons for doing' things. And once I sit down and figure out who that person is, and what they're doing', and why they're doing it, then there's no moral judgment about it. That's just what they do. And that's how they operate in the world.”
Besides playing award-winning roles in important films, Jackson has also starred in some of the biggest Hollywood blockbusters of the last several decades. Here’s a list of Samuel L. Jackson’s top grossing movies, ranked in order of ticket sales and adjusted for inflation.

1. *Marvel’s The Avengers* (2012)
2. *Incredibles 2* (2018)
3. *Star Wars Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith* (2005)
4. *Avengers: Age of Ultron* (2015)
5. *The Incredibles* (2004)
6. *Iron Man 2* (2010)
7. *Captain America: The Winter Soldier* (2014)
8. *Pulp Fiction* (1994)
9. *A Time to Kill* (1996)
10. *xXx* (2002)

The above films are just a sampling of Samuel L. Jackson’s long and varied film career. See below for Jackson’s complete filmography.

- *Together for Days* (1972)
- *The Exterminator* (1980)
- *Ragtime* (1981)
- *Magic Sticks* (1987)
- *Coming to America* (1988)
- *School Daze* (1988)
- *Do the Right Thing* (1989)
- *Sea of Love* (1989)
- *Def by Temptation* (1990)
- *A Shock to the System* (1990)
- *Betsy's Wedding* (1990)
- *Mo' Better Blues* (1990)
- *The Exorcist III* (1990)
- *Goodfellas* (1990)
- *The Return of Superfly* (1990)
- *Strictly Business* (1991)
- *Jungle Fever* (1991)
- *Jumpin' at the Boneyard* (1991)
- *Johnny Suede* (1991)
- *Juice* (1992)
- *Patriot Games* (1992)
- *White Sands* (1992)
- *Fathers & Sons* (1992)
- *Menace II Society* (1993)
- *Loaded Weapon 1* (1993)
- *Amos & Andrew* (1993)
- *Jurassic Park* (1993)
- *True Romance* (1993)
- *Fresh* (1994)
- *Pulp Fiction* (1994)
- *The New Age* (1994)
- *Hail Caesar* (1994)
- *Assault at West Point: The Court-Martial of Johnson Whittaker* (1994)
- *The Search for One-eye Jimmy* (1994)
- *Kiss of Death* (1995)
- *Die Hard with a Vengeance*(1995)
- *Losing Isaiah* (1995)
- *Fluke* (1995)
- *The Great White Hype* (1996)
- *A Time to Kill* (1996)
- *The Long Kiss Goodnight* (1996)
- *Hard Eight* (1996)
- *Trees Lounge* (1996)
- *One Eight Seven* (1997)
- *Eve's Bayou* (1997)
- *Jackie Brown* (1997)
- *Sphere* (1998)
- *The Negotiator* (1998)
- *The Red Violin* (1998)
- *Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace* (1999)
- *Deep Blue Sea* (1999)
- *Rules of Engagement* (2000)
- *Shaft* (2000)
- *Unbreakable* (2000)
- *The Caveman's Valentine* (2001)
- *The 51st State* (2001)
- *Changing Lanes* (2002)
- *Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones* (2002)
- *xXx* (2002)
- *No Good Deed* (2002)
- *Basic* (2003)
- *S.W.A.T.* (2003)
- *Twisted* (2004)
- *Kill Bill: Volume 2* (2004)
- *The Incredibles* (2004)
- *In My Country* (2004)
- *Coach Carter* (2005)
- *xXx: State of the Union* (2005)
- *Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith* (2005)
- *The Man* (2005)
- *Freedomland* (2006)
- *Snakes on a Plane* (2006)
- *Home of the Brave* (2006)
- *Black Snake Moan* (2006)
- *Farce of the Penguins* (2007)
- *1408* (2007)
- *Resurrecting the Champ* (2007)
- *Cleaner* (2007)
- *Jumper* (2008)
- *Iron Man* (2008)
- *Star Wars: The Clone Wars* (2008)
- *Lakeview Terrace* (2008)
- *Soul Men* (2008)
- *The Spirit* (2008)
- *Gospel Hill* (2008)
- *Astro Boy* (2009)
- *Mother and Child* (2009)
- *Inglourious Basterds* (2009)
- *Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey* (2010)
- *Unthinkable* (2010)
- *Iron Man 2* (2010)
- *The Other Guys* (2010)
- *African Cats* (2011)
- *Thor* (2011)
- *Captain America: The First Avenger* (2011)
- *Arena* (2011)
- *The Samaritan* (2012)
- *The Avengers* (2012)
- *Meeting Evil* (2012)
- *Zambezia* (2012)
- *Django Unchained* (2012)
- *Turbo* (2013)
- *Oldboy* (2013)
- *Reasonable Doubt* (2014)
- *RoboCop* (2014)
- *Captain America: The Winter Soldier* (2014)
- *Kite* (2014)
- *Big Game* (2014)
- *Kingsman: The Secret Service* (2014)
- *Avengers: Age of Ultron* (2015)
- *Barely Lethal* (2015)
- *Chi-Raq* (2015)
- *The Hateful Eight* (2015)
- *Cell* (2016)
- *The Legend of Tarzan* (2016)
- *I Am Not Your Negro* (2016)
- *Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children* (2016)
- *Eating You Alive* (2016)
- *xXx: Return of Xander Cage* (2017)
- *Kong: Skull Island* (2017)
- *The Hitman's Bodyguard* (2017)
- *Unicorn Store* (2017)
- *Avengers: Infinity War* (2018)
- *Incredibles 2* (2018)
- *Life Itself* (2018)
Whether you’re treading the boards or prepping for your next big role in a film or television series, making it in show business requires plenty of practice and a healthy dose of patience. No actor knows this better than the [legendary Samuel L. Jackson](https://www.masterclass.com/classes/samuel-l-jackson-teaches-acting), who has acted in over 100 films to date, from Pulp Fiction to The Avengers. In Samuel L. Jackson’s MasterClass on acting, the Oscar-nominee shares how he creates memorable characters, powerful performances, and a long-lasting career.

Want to become a better actor? [The MasterClass Annual Membership](https://www.masterclass.com/) provides exclusive video lessons from master actors, including Samuel L. Jackson, Helen Mirren, and Natalie Portman.

[Samuel L. Jackson](https://www.masterclass.com/classes/samuel-l-jackson-teaches-acting) is arguably one of Hollywood’s biggest actors. Jackson first achieved breakout success when he played Gator in Spike Lee’s *Jungle Fever*, then went on to earn an Oscar nomination for his performance as Jules in *Pulp Fiction*. Since then, Jackson has acted in more than 100 films, playing such iconic characters as Mace Windu in *Star Wars* and Nick Fury in *The Avengers*.

Below, Samuel L. Jackson recounts key moments in the filmmaking process of some of his most celebrated movies, from making tough character choices to working on set with directors.

Jackson on playing iconic hitman Jules Winnfield in Quentin Tarantino’s now-classic film: “Jules has been killing people for a long time—since he was a kid. He and Marcellus grew up gang bangers together. So he&#39;s been killing for Marcellus for a long time. And his mom probably told him, ‘I told you about hanging out with that Marcellus boy,’ but he kept hanging out with that Marcellus boy, because he was going to church, too. And he has that whole God thing that comes in; he&#39;s got some guilt, because his parents put that shit in him, you know? But he can&#39;t walk around with it. He&#39;s gotta be Jules.”

Pulp Fiction (1994)

Jackson on playing a conflicted hostage negotiator:“It&#39;s devastating. It&#39;s that kinda shit. It’s ‘Maybe he&#39;ll listen to me, until he breaks your fucking heart.’ Let&#39;s explore that depth of ‘it&#39;s fucked up’.”

The Negotiator (1998)

Jackson on bringing humanity to the role of crack addict Gator Purify: “Spike had a different conception of who Gator was. When I got there and I started talking to him about who I wanted Gator to be, and how I wanted him to use his parents, his brother, all the people around him to aid his addiction, or just get money from them or use them or manipulate them in whatever way. And I would look high in a way, but I&#39;m not gonna play I&#39;m fucked up all the time. Because when you&#39;re not fucked up and you&#39;re trying to get something, it&#39;s another kind of desperation and cunning. And that&#39;s how I wanted to play Gator.... because everybody had a Gator in their family. And I consider that a job well done.”

Jungle Fever (1991)

Jackson on infusing a performance with real-life experience: “In Time To Kill, that was my grandfather and his brothers. These old country dudes that work the land, work a hard job. They’re pigeon-toed, kinda stooped, arms loose, loping, swaying from side to side. You know, kind of a hangdog look. Brow wrinkled because they’re listening to you but thinking something.”

A Time to Kill (1996)

Jackson on working with Quentin Tarantino:“If you want to work on the most harmonious process in the world, you should do a Tarantino movie. The one thing that I think is great about Quentin&#39;s sets is that there are no electronics. There&#39;s nothing with an on/off switch on set. So when he says, ‘cut,’ nobody pulls out their phone and starts texting and looking at stuff. You have to leave your phone at a phone station they have outside. They play music between setups. So people sing, people dance. You talk to everybody around about their day, or whatever they&#39;re talking about. It makes his set a better place to be.”

Jackie Brown (1997)

Jackson on making character choices: “Being an upright, nerdy kinda guy, I decided to make him slew footed. And he walked upright in a specific way with his feet like that. And he wobbled when he walked. And his glasses—he pushed his glasses up on his face a lot.”

One Eight Seven (1997)

Jackson on withholding judgment about his characters: “When Quentin called me and told me to read it, he didn&#39;t tell me anything about it. And I finished, and I called him back, and I said, ‘So you want me to play the most despicable negro in cinematic history?’ And he was like, ‘Well, yeah.’ And I go, ‘Okay, let&#39;s do it.’ So I can&#39;t judge my characters. People have their own reasons for doing&#39; things. And once I sit down and figure out who that person is, and what they&#39;re doing&#39;, and why they&#39;re doing it, then there&#39;s no moral judgment about it. That&#39;s just what they do. And that&#39;s how they operate in the world.”

Django Unchained (2012)

Besides playing award-winning roles in important films, Jackson has also starred in some of the biggest Hollywood blockbusters of the last several decades. Here’s a list of Samuel L. Jackson’s top grossing movies, ranked in order of ticket sales and adjusted for inflation.<ol class="mc-m-4"><li class="mc-my-4"> 1. Marvel’s The Avengers (2012) </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 2. Incredibles 2 (2018) </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 3. Star Wars Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith (2005) </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 4. Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 5. The Incredibles (2004) </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 6. Iron Man 2 (2010) </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 7. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 8. Pulp Fiction (1994) </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 9. A Time to Kill (1996) </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 10. xXx (2002) </li></ol>

Samuel L. Jackson’s Top 10 Box Office Blockbusters

The above films are just a sampling of Samuel L. Jackson’s long and varied film career. See below for Jackson’s complete filmography.<ul class="mc-m-4 list-styled"><li class="">Together for Days (1972) </li><li class="">The Exterminator (1980) </li><li class="">Ragtime (1981) </li><li class="">Magic Sticks (1987) </li><li class="">Coming to America (1988) </li><li class="">School Daze (1988) </li><li class="">Do the Right Thing (1989) </li><li class="">Sea of Love (1989) </li><li class="">Def by Temptation (1990) </li><li class="">A Shock to the System (1990) </li><li class="">Betsy&#39;s Wedding (1990) </li><li class="">Mo&#39; Better Blues (1990) </li><li class="">The Exorcist III (1990) </li><li class="">Goodfellas (1990) </li><li class="">The Return of Superfly (1990) </li><li class="">Strictly Business (1991) </li><li class="">Jungle Fever (1991) </li><li class="">Jumpin&#39; at the Boneyard (1991) </li><li class="">Johnny Suede (1991) </li><li class="">Juice (1992) </li><li class="">Patriot Games (1992) </li><li class="">White Sands (1992) </li><li class="">Fathers &amp; Sons (1992) </li><li class="">Menace II Society (1993) </li><li class="">Loaded Weapon 1 (1993) </li><li class="">Amos &amp; Andrew (1993) </li><li class="">Jurassic Park (1993) </li><li class="">True Romance (1993) </li><li class="">Fresh (1994) </li><li class="">Pulp Fiction (1994) </li><li class="">The New Age (1994) </li><li class="">Hail Caesar (1994) </li><li class="">Assault at West Point: The Court-Martial of Johnson Whittaker (1994) </li><li class="">The Search for One-eye Jimmy (1994) </li><li class="">Kiss of Death (1995) </li><li class="">Die Hard with a Vengeance(1995) </li><li class="">Losing Isaiah (1995) </li><li class="">Fluke (1995) </li><li class="">The Great White Hype (1996) </li><li class="">A Time to Kill (1996) </li><li class="">The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996) </li><li class="">Hard Eight (1996) </li><li class="">Trees Lounge (1996) </li><li class="">One Eight Seven (1997) </li><li class="">Eve&#39;s Bayou (1997) </li><li class="">Jackie Brown (1997) </li><li class="">Sphere (1998) </li><li class="">The Negotiator (1998) </li><li class="">The Red Violin (1998) </li><li class="">Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999) </li><li class="">Deep Blue Sea (1999) </li><li class="">Rules of Engagement (2000) </li><li class="">Shaft (2000) </li><li class="">Unbreakable (2000) </li><li class="">The Caveman&#39;s Valentine (2001) </li><li class="">The 51st State (2001) </li><li class="">Changing Lanes (2002) </li><li class="">Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002) </li><li class="">xXx (2002) </li><li class="">No Good Deed (2002) </li><li class="">Basic (2003) </li><li class="">S.W.A.T. (2003) </li><li class="">Twisted (2004) </li><li class="">Kill Bill: Volume 2 (2004) </li><li class="">The Incredibles (2004) </li><li class="">In My Country (2004) </li><li class="">Coach Carter (2005) </li><li class="">xXx: State of the Union (2005) </li><li class="">Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005) </li><li class="">The Man (2005) </li><li class="">Freedomland (2006) </li><li class="">Snakes on a Plane (2006) </li><li class="">Home of the Brave (2006) </li><li class="">Black Snake Moan (2006) </li><li class="">Farce of the Penguins (2007) </li><li class="">1408 (2007) </li><li class="">Resurrecting the Champ (2007) </li><li class="">Cleaner (2007) </li><li class="">Jumper (2008) </li><li class="">Iron Man (2008) </li><li class="">Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) </li><li class="">Lakeview Terrace (2008) </li><li class="">Soul Men (2008) </li><li class="">The Spirit (2008) </li><li class="">Gospel Hill (2008) </li><li class="">Astro Boy (2009) </li><li class="">Mother and Child (2009) </li><li class="">Inglourious Basterds (2009) </li><li class="">Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey (2010) </li><li class="">Unthinkable (2010) </li><li class="">Iron Man 2 (2010) </li><li class="">The Other Guys (2010) </li><li class="">African Cats (2011) </li><li class="">Thor (2011) </li><li class="">Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) </li><li class="">Arena (2011) </li><li class="">The Samaritan (2012) </li><li class="">The Avengers (2012) </li><li class="">Meeting Evil (2012) </li><li class="">Zambezia (2012) </li><li class="">Django Unchained (2012) </li><li class="">Turbo (2013) </li><li class="">Oldboy (2013) </li><li class="">Reasonable Doubt (2014) </li><li class="">RoboCop (2014) </li><li class="">Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) </li><li class="">Kite (2014) </li><li class="">Big Game (2014) </li><li class="">Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014) </li><li class="">Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) </li><li class="">Barely Lethal (2015) </li><li class="">Chi-Raq (2015) </li><li class="">The Hateful Eight (2015) </li><li class="">Cell (2016) </li><li class="">The Legend of Tarzan (2016) </li><li class="">I Am Not Your Negro (2016) </li><li class="">Miss Peregrine&#39;s Home for Peculiar Children (2016) </li><li class="">Eating You Alive (2016) </li><li class="">xXx: Return of Xander Cage (2017) </li><li class="">Kong: Skull Island (2017) </li><li class="">The Hitman&#39;s Bodyguard (2017) </li><li class="">Unicorn Store (2017) </li><li class="">Avengers: Infinity War (2018) </li><li class="">Incredibles 2 (2018) </li><li class="">Life Itself (2018) </li></ul>

Samuel L. Jackson Full Filmography

Whether you’re treading the boards or prepping for your next big role in a film or television series, making it in show business requires plenty of practice and a healthy dose of patience. No actor knows this better than the <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/classes/samuel-l-jackson-teaches-acting' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/classes/samuel-l-jackson-teaches-acting","linkCopy":"legendary Samuel L. Jackson","category":null}'>legendary Samuel L. Jackson</a>, who has acted in over 100 films to date, from Pulp Fiction to The Avengers. In Samuel L. Jackson’s MasterClass on acting, the Oscar-nominee shares how he creates memorable characters, powerful performances, and a long-lasting career.Want to become a better actor? <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/","linkCopy":"The MasterClass Annual Membership","category":null}'>The MasterClass Annual Membership</a> provides exclusive video lessons from master actors, including Samuel L. Jackson, Helen Mirren, and Natalie Portman.

Want to Become a Better Actor?

<a href='https://www.masterclass.com/classes/samuel-l-jackson-teaches-acting' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/classes/samuel-l-jackson-teaches-acting","linkCopy":"Samuel L. Jackson","category":null}'>Samuel L. Jackson</a> is arguably one of Hollywood’s biggest actors. Jackson first achieved breakout success when he played Gator in Spike Lee’s Jungle Fever, then went on to earn an Oscar nomination for his performance as Jules in Pulp Fiction. Since then, Jackson has acted in more than 100 films, playing such iconic characters as Mace Windu in Star Wars and Nick Fury in The Avengers.Below, Samuel L. Jackson recounts key moments in the filmmaking process of some of his most celebrated movies, from making tough character choices to working on set with directors.

Samuel L. Jackson (https://www.masterclass.com/classes/samuel-l-jackson-teaches-acting) is arguably one of Hollywood’s biggest actors. Jackson first achieved breakout success when he played Gator in Spike Lee’s Jungle Fever, then went on to earn an Oscar nomination for his performance as Jules in Pulp Fiction. Since then, Jackson has acted in more than 100 films, playing such iconic characters as Mace Windu in Star Wars and Nick Fury in The Avengers.
Below, Samuel L. Jackson recounts key moments in the filmmaking process of some of his most celebrated movies, from making tough character choices to working on set with directors.
