Samuel L. Jackson would rather be Nick Fury than chase Oscar bait

Some actors are all about chasing Oscar glory — not that there’s anything wrong with that — but Samuel L. Jackson is not that person. Thanks to his roles in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Star Wars franchise, and other major movies, Samuel Jackson is the most profitable actor of all time. He recently told The L.A. Times that he realized long ago that he’d rather focus on doing what makes him happy rather than chasing awards.

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 [whispers]: “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.

Samuel Jackson continued, “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. I always have fun going to the Oscars. I always look forward to getting a gift basket for being a presenter. [Laughs] I give stuff to my relatives; my daughter and my wife would take stuff out. It’s cool.” Thanks to roles like Nick Fury or Mace Windu, Jackson is instantly recognizable to millions of fans, and he’s more than fine with being that guy.

I want to do the stuff that made me want to go to the movies when I was a kid. I want to do that movie that people just want to see so they can get out of themselves. That’s the guy I chose to be and I’m fine with it. I’m satisfied because that’s who I am. I’m the guy who does the lines that people see on T-shirts. There’s actors who go their whole careers and no one can quote a line they’ve said in a movie. People go to watch my movies to see how crazy I’m going to be or see how many times I say motherf—. [Laughs] Whatever gets them in the seats.

Samuel Jackson was recognized with an Honorary Academy Award earlier this year and previously received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor in Pulp Fiction. Jackson will next star in Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank, an animated movie loosely inspired by Blazing Saddles. The film will be released on July 15, 2022. He will also reprise his role of Nick Fury for the upcoming Secret Invasion TV series for Disney+.