Samuel L. Jackson is one of the most prolific and iconic actors in the world, with dozens of acting credits across more than three decades. As with any prolific and iconic actor, he’s had the opportunity to work with some of Hollywood’s most acclaimed and popular filmmakers over the course of his storied career.
Even before his breakout Pulp Fiction role in 1994, Jackson had worked with both Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese. In the decades since, Jackson has been directed by such legends as Spike Lee, George Lucas, and Tony Scott.
Tim Burton
Tim Burton is one of the most revered filmmakers working today: he created Betelgeuse, reinvented Batman on the big screen, and made audiences fall in love with a guy who has scissors for fingers.
Jackson worked with Burton on the fantasy adventure Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, in which he played the ing role of shapeshifting Mr. Barron.
Renny Harlin
Jackson worked with renowned action director Renny Harlin on a couple of projects. He starred alongside Geena Davis in the wildly underrated buddy actioner The Long Kiss Goodnight, in which he plays a private eye uncovering Davis’ past as a secret agent.
Years later, Jackson reunited with the director for the shark-infested thriller Psycho gambit (killing off an A-lister halfway through the movie) with Jackson’s character.
Jon Favreau
From his breakout hit Chef is a heartwarming comedy about a father reconnecting with his son (told through the lens of food).
Favreau first directed Jackson in the post-credits scene of setting up the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe by telling Tony Stark that he’s not the only superhero. This post-credits tease would go on to change blockbuster cinema.
M. Night Shyamalan
M. Night Shyamalan isn’t really known for making sequels to his movies. His stories usually rely on a twist ending, which isn’t very conducive to franchise worldbuilding, but Jackson has played the recurring role of Mr. Glass across Shyamalan’s filmography.
After Unbreakable, the first chapter of a trilogy, stars Jackson as a superhero-obsessed supervillain and Bruce Willis as the superhuman he hopes to turn into his arch-nemesis.
Tony Scott
For the most part, Tony Scott was known for helming explosive, large-scale action thrillers (usually starring Tom Cruise or Denzel Washington), like Unstoppable. But he was great at translating a screenwriter’s idiosyncratic voice to the screen.
Scott did just that with Bonnie and Clyde story. Before working with Tarantino as a director on Pulp Fiction, Jackson delivered his dialogue for the first time in a bit part in True Romance.
Martin Scorsese
Martin Scorsese is one of the most legendary filmmakers working today. Many of Scorsese’s films – Raging Bull – have been ranked among the greatest ever made.
Before his big break, Jackson played a small role in arguably Scorsese’s greatest film, 1990’s whacked by Joe Pesci’s Tommy DeVito for forgetting to hide the vehicle.
Steven Spielberg
A year before Pulp Fiction made him a world-renowned movie star, Jackson played the ing role of computer technician Ray Arnold in the highest-grossing movie ever made, Steven Spielberg’s sci-fi thriller Jurassic Park.
This was the third time that Spielberg broke the impressive record after revolutionizing blockbusters with 1975’s E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.
George Lucas
George Lucas was already one of New Hollywood’s most celebrated directors with the timeless comedy classic Star Wars. The influence of Star Wars can still be felt in today’s blockbusters.
When Lucas returned to the Star Wars saga for a prequel trilogy in the late ‘90s, he cast Jackson as Yoda’s right-hand man, Mace Windu, one of the galaxy’s most powerful Jedi. Jackson naturally made an icon out of the role.
Spike Lee
Jackson has been regularly working with the great Spike Lee since early on in both of their careers, playing both major roles and smaller ing characters.
The actor has appeared in some of Lee’s most acclaimed films – School Daze, Oldboy remake.
Quentin Tarantino
The director that Jackson is most associated with is, of course, Quentin Tarantino. Jackson became an overnight superstar with his Oscar-nominated role as mob hitman Jules Winnfield in Tarantino’s sophomore directorial effort Pulp Fiction. No actor is better suited to Tarantino’s idiosyncratic dialogue than Jackson, which he later proved time and time again across several collaborations.
Jackson played gun runner Ordell Robbie in The Hateful Eight’s mystery plot.
