The 21 best Samuel L. Jackson movie performances of all time, ranked

With Jackson playing a young version of Nick Fury in Captain Marvel (in theaters), we thought it was a good time to dive into the actors work.

Here are the 21 best Samuel L. Jackson performances, ranked:

21. Wes Luger in Loaded Weapon 1 (1993)

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New Line Cinema

This spoof on the Lethal Weapon movies (and a whole bunch of others like Basic Instinct and The Silence of the Lambs) is so bad its good. Jackson plays the straight man in this buddy comedy spoof alongside Emilio Estevez (yes, this movie is VERY 90s). It shows Jackson can really star in any kind of movie.

20. Russell Franklin in Deep Blue Sea (1999)

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Warner Bros.

Need another example? How about him playing a scientist who gets eaten by a genetically engineered mako shark. The highlight of this shark movie that has built a fanbase over the years is the epic death scene by Jacksons character, who gets swallowed up by a shark while spouting an inspirational one-minute monologue to the rest of the scientists.

19. Coach Ken Carter in Coach Carter (2005)

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Paramount Pictures

Theres no joking from Jackson in this role. Here he plays a basketball coach who lays down the discipline to make his high-school players better men.

18. Reverend Fred Sultan in The Great White Hype (1996)

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Fox

In this comedy, Jackson brings in the laughs with his Don King-like promoter character Reverend Sultan. This is another example showing that Jackson has never feared jumping into a wacky role.

17. Neville Flynn in Snakes on a Plane (2006)

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New Line Cinema

Legend has it Jackson was reading a trade paper one day, saw that a movie was being made with the working title Snakes on a Plane by Hong Kong action director Ronny Yu attached, and called up to get on the movie without even seeing the script. Yu didnt end up directing the movie, but at least we have Jackson saying in a movie Ive had it with these mother------- snakes on this mother------- plane!

16. Trevor Garfield in 187 (1997)

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Warner Bros.

Jackson gets dark in this one. After being stabbed multiple times by a student while working as a New York City teacher, 15 months later Jackson's character is now in L.A. and working as a substitute teacher. But hes not going to be pushed around anymore. This ones a Jackson forgotten gem.

15. Carl Lee Hailey in A Time to Kill (1996)

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Warner Bros.

This courtroom drama based on the John Grisham novel stars Jackson as a father accused of murdering two white men who raped his daughter. Jackson gives a great performance alongside Matthew McConaughey and Sandra Bullock, who play his lawyers. And this one has another memorable Jackson line. While on the witness stand and being questioned by the district attorney (played by Kevin Spacey) he yells out, Yes, they deserve to die, and I hope they burn in hell!

14. Frozone in The Incredibles (2004) / Incredibles 2 (2018)

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Pixar

Playing superhero Frozone in the original and sequel, Jackson gives the character a perfect mix of authority (with that voice) and playfulness.

13. Nick Fury in Captain Marvel (2019)

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Disney

Most of the Nick Fury appearances in the MCU (for me) are pretty forgettable, so it was great to see Jackson give the character a little more in this movie. The de-aging wasnt distracting and he has a fun vibe with Brie Larsons Carol Danvers.

12. Mace Windu in Star Wars: Attack of the Clones (2002)

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Lucasfilm

Episode II is when Jacksons Mace Windu finally gets to shine, if only for a moment. His battle versus Jango Fett may have been brief, but his no-look decapitation of the Mandalorian is a highlight of the Star Wars prequels.

11. John Arnold in Jurassic Park (1993)

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Universal YouTube Channel

As the constantly smoking engineer, John Arnold, Jackson shines every time hes on screen. And he will always be remembered for the famous line, Hold onto your butts.

10. Stacks Edwards in Goodfellas (1990)

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Warner Bros.

Another small role in a legendary movie, Jacksons swagger is next level as the playboy Stacks Edwards whose forgetfulness gets him killed.

9. Lazarus in Black Snake Moan (2006)

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Paramount

For director Craig Brewers follow-up to his hit, Hustle & Flow, he casts Jackson as an aging blues guitarist who is struggling with a troubled past. And things dont get any better when he tries to help out a young woman (played by Christina Ricci) who has also had it tough.

8. DJ Mister Seor Love Daddy in Do the Right Thing (1989)

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Universal

Playing neighborhood DJ Mister Seor Love Daddy, Jackson is the character that director Spike Lee uses to give the audience the real talk of whats going on in the movie when its needed. And his high-energy performance is perfect.

7. Zeus Carver in Die Hard: With a Vengeance (1995)

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Fox

Just think how we would talk about the Die Hard movies if the franchise stopped at three. Because they kept going (and got worse) we have forgotten how enjoyable With a Vengeance is due to Jacksons casting. The pair of Jackson and Bruce Willis makes for a fun movie as the two cant stand each other but (because of the circumstances) cant leave each other.

6. Elijah Price in Unbreakable (2000)

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Buena Vista

Things are a little different in this Willis/Jackson movie five years later. Jackson playing a real-life villain (though we dont realize it until the end of the movie) is a masterful performance. Too bad it all got messed up with Glass.

5. Stephen in Django Unchained (2012)

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"Django Unchained"

Jackson playing an aging loyal slave to Leonardo DiCaprios plantation owner Calvin Candle is a memorable performance thats wickedly evil and funny.

4. Major Marquis Warren in The Hateful Eight (2015)

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Andrew Cooper/The Weinstein Company

In Tarantinos movie after Django, he lets Jackson be the emotional center of the story, as he plays a bounty hunter who finds himself in a tight spot when getting shelter during a snow storm with a collection of colorful characters.

3. Ordell Robbie in Jackie Brown (1997)

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Miramax

Jackson brings Elmore Leonards Ordell Robbie character to life with such a mix of evil and charisma (of course helped by the words and direction of Tarantino) its almost a shame to see his demise in the end.

2. Gator Purify in Jungle Fever (1991)

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Universal

Its the most dramatic performance Jackson has given to date. As crack addict Gator, hes seen throughout the movie trying to get money from his brother, Flipper (Wesley Snipes), or smoking crack with his girlfriend (played by Halle Berry). His life then tragically ends by the hand of his own father at the end of the movie. What helped make the performance so powerful is that Jackson was recently out of rehab for his own crack addiction before the movie began production.

1. Jules Winnfield in Pulp Fiction (1994)

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Miramax

Though hes starred in countless movies, this is the one Jackson will be best known for. Earning a best supporting actor Oscar nomination, Jacksons Bible-quoting hitman Jules Winnfield is one of the most memorable characters in movie history. And unlike most of Jacksons greatest characters, Jules doesnt have just one memorable line, he has many!

The 21 best Samuel L. Jackson movie performances of all time, ranked

21. Wes Luger in Loaded Weapon 1 (1993)

20. Russell Franklin in Deep Blue Sea (1999)

19. Coach Ken Carter in Coach Carter (2005)

18. Reverend Fred Sultan in The Great White Hype (1996)

17. Neville Flynn in Snakes on a Plane (2006)

16. Trevor Garfield in 187 (1997)

15. Carl Lee Hailey in A Time to Kill (1996)

14. Frozone in The Incredibles (2004) / Incredibles 2 (2018)

13. Nick Fury in Captain Marvel (2019)

12. Mace Windu in Star Wars: Attack of the Clones (2002)

11. John Arnold in Jurassic Park (1993)

10. Stacks Edwards in Goodfellas (1990)

9. Lazarus in Black Snake Moan (2006)

8. DJ Mister Seor Love Daddy in Do the Right Thing (1989)

7. Zeus Carver in Die Hard: With a Vengeance (1995)

6. Elijah Price in Unbreakable (2000)

5. Stephen in Django Unchained (2012)

4. Major Marquis Warren in The Hateful Eight (2015)

3. Ordell Robbie in Jackie Brown (1997)

2. Gator Purify in Jungle Fever (1991)

1. Jules Winnfield in Pulp Fiction (1994)

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