Samuel L. Jackson Reflects on Bruce Willis' Career Advice and His MCU Nick Fury Journey

From one icon to another, this advice hit the mark. Samuel L. Jackson shared the wisdom Bruce Willis imparted while filming the 1994 action classic Die Hard With a Vengeance.

“He said, ‘You want a character that, even if your films flop, you can always return to because fans love it,’” Jackson told Vanity Fair in a feature honoring Willis’ 70th birthday.

“He explained, ‘Arnold [Schwarzenegger] has Terminator. Sylvester [Stallone] has Rocky and Rambo. I have John McClane.’ I nodded, but it didn’t click until I landed Nick Fury with a nine-picture deal. Then I realized, ‘This is what Bruce meant. I’ve got my character now.’ ”

Jackson debuted as Nick Fury in a post-credits cameo in 2008’s Iron Man. He fully embraced the role in 2010’s Iron Man 2, later reprising it across 10 films, three TV series, and two video games. His latest portrayals include the 2023 film The Marvels, the series Secret Invasion, and a voice role in the Season 2 finale of Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur.

In 2024, Jackson humorously reflected on whether he’d live long enough to fulfill his nine-film contract, unaware of Marvel’s rapid production pace.

“When Kevin [Feige] offered the nine-picture deal, I thought, ‘How long do I need to stay alive for nine movies?’” he shared with GQ in September 2024.

“It’s not a fast process, so I didn’t expect them to churn out nine films in about two and a half years. I was like, ‘Wow, I’m burning through my contracts!’ But it all worked out.”