Bruce Willis Told Samuel L. Jackson to Find a Role ‘You Can Always Go Back To’ After Making Bad Movies That Make No Money: ‘I Got Nick Fury’ Years Later

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Reflecting on my memorable journey with a fellow cinematic titan, Bruce Willis, I recently shared one of his invaluable career insights that has significantly shaped my path in the industry. We first crossed swords, or should I say explosives, in the third installment of the “Die Hard” series, which stormed the box office in 1995 and raked in a staggering $366 million globally, making it the year’s highest-grossing film and the franchise’s most successful release at that time. We rekindled our on-screen partnership in M. Night Shyamalan’s “Unbreakable” and more recently, “Glass.” Now, let me share a golden nugget of wisdom from the man himself.

On the set of ‘Die Hard With a Vengeance’, Jackson shared that Willis advised him, saying something like, ‘I hope you’ll discover a role that will always be there for you. It’s one people adore, and even if your films flop and don’t earn any profit, you can return to this character whenever you want.’

He explained, “Arnold has The Terminator, Sylvester has Rocky and Rambo, but I have John McClane.” I just nodded, thinking nothing much of it. It wasn’t until I landed the Nick Fury role and signed a nine-picture deal that I realized, ‘Wow, I’m following what Bruce said. I’ve got this character now.’

Initially, Jackson emerged as Nick Fury in the closing sequence of the 2008 film “Iron Man.” Over time, he became a consistent element within the Marvel Cinematic Universe and featured in numerous titles spanning films like “The Avengers” and “Captain Marvel,” as well as TV shows such as “Secret Invasion.” Jackson expressed surprise when Marvel initially extended him a nine-film contract, according to his interview with GQ magazine last year.

Jackson recollected pondering, ‘How much time do I have before making my ninth film?’ When the offer came, it hadn’t crossed his mind that they would produce nine films within approximately two and a half years. Frankly, that seemed quite extraordinary!

Previously, Jackson expressed to The Los Angeles Times that his passion for the Nick Fury character has never waned. He prefers creating blockbuster Marvel films that gross over a billion dollars instead of pursuing Oscars or seeking out dramatic roles designed to win awards.

He made it clear that the Oscars wouldn’t determine his success or failure as an actor. Instead, his gauge of achievement lies in his own contentment: is he pleased with what he’s accomplishing? He’s not about making films to win statues. Rather, he prefers playing roles like Nick Fury or Mace Windu wielding a lightsaber, than chasing after Oscars.

Simultaneously, Willis decided to retire from acting in 2022 following a diagnosis of aphasia, a condition that arises due to brain damage and impacts an individual’s capacity to communicate effectively. A year later, his family disclosed that his health situation had evolved into frontotemporal dementia. At the time, they expressed relief for having a definitive diagnosis despite the pain it brought.

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2025-03-20 01:16