Ever wonder how Samuel L. Jackson became Nick Fury the eye-patch wearing super spy in like a million Marvel movies? Well guess what it all goes back to some advice from action movie legend Bruce Willis ! Seriously.
Bruce Willis's Game-Changing Advice on the Set of Die Hard: With a Vengeance
Turns out back in 1994 when Samuel L. Jackson and Bruce Willis were filming Die Hard With a Vengeance Willis dropped some serious career wisdom. Jackson recently told Vanity Fair that Willis basically said "Hey Sam you gotta find yourself a character you can always go back to".
Willis pointed to himself with John McClane from Die Hard Arnold Schwarzenegger with Terminator and Sylvester Stallone with Rocky and Rambo. These were their go-to roles characters that fans loved no matter what other movies they did even if some of them were well... not so great.
From John McClane to Nick Fury: How Bruce's Words Shaped Jackson's MCU Destiny
Jackson admitted he didn't really get it at first. But then fast forward to 2008. He gets cast as Nick Fury in Iron Man. And not just for one movie. For NINE movies! Suddenly it clicked. "Oh I'm doing what Bruce said" Jackson realized. "I've got this character now".
And boy did he ever. Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury became a cornerstone of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He's been in like a dozen MCU films since then. That's way more than Bruce Willis as John McClane or Arnold as Terminator! Talk about taking advice and running with it.
Nick Fury: Samuel L. Jackson's Billion-Dollar Character & MCU Staple
Playing Nick Fury was not just smart career move it was also super lucrative. The Marvel movies Jackson has been in as Fury have grossed around $12.8 BILLION dollars. Yeah billion with a B. That's some seriously good advice from Bruce Willis turning into some serious cash for Samuel L. Jackson.
Jackson seems pretty happy with how things turned out. He even said he's not chasing Oscars anymore. For him success is about being happy with what he's doing. And let's be real who wouldn't be happy being Nick Fury and wielding that kind of box office power?
Bruce Willis's 70th Birthday and Family Tributes: A Look Back at a Legend
Speaking of Bruce Willis he recently celebrated his 70th birthday. His family including ex-wife Demi Moore and daughters Rumer Scout and Tallulah shared some really sweet tributes online. They showed a lot of love for the Die Hard star as he continues to live with frontotemporal dementia.
It's a reminder that even action heroes like John McClane and actors like Bruce Willis face real life challenges. But his advice to Samuel L. Jackson and his iconic movie roles will definitely live on.
Key Movies Mentioned: Willis Jackson and Their Iconic Roles
- Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995): The movie where Bruce Willis gave Samuel L. Jackson career-changing advice.
- Iron Man (2008): The movie that kicked off Samuel L. Jackson's journey as Nick Fury in the MCU.
- Pulp Fiction (1994): Another movie starring both Jackson and Willis though not in scenes together.
- Unbreakable (2000) & Glass (2019): M. Night Shyamalan films that featured both actors.
- National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1 (1993): Comedy film with both Jackson and Willis.
- Terminator series: Arnold Schwarzenegger's iconic franchise mentioned by Willis.
- Rocky & Rambo series: Sylvester Stallone's famous franchises referenced by Willis.
From Action Stars to MCU Boss: The Legacy of Bruce Willis's Advice
So there you have it. Bruce Willis's advice about finding a go-to character wasn't just some casual movie set chat. It actually helped shape Samuel L. Jackson's career in a massive way leading to his iconic role as Nick Fury and billions at the box office. Not bad for a tip from John McClane right?