Samuel L. Jackson
Lost the touch
Best movie
8.8
Pulp Fiction (1994)
Worst movie
4.5
xXx: State of the Union (2005)
First 5 to latest 5
−1.8
7.2 → 5.4 on average
Average rating
6.6
26M votes in total
IMDb rating per movie
Cameos
The best rated of the 100 movies Samuel L. Jackson starred in is Pulp Fiction (1994), at 8.8 on IMDb, and the worst is xXx: State of the Union (2005), at 4.5. The first 5 average 7.2 and the latest 5 5.4, down by 1.8. Together they average 6.6, from 26M votes in total. 13 cameos, like Inglourious Basterds (2009), aren't counted.
Movie by movie
| Movie | Role | Released | Votes | Rating | Change | Rating bar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RagtimeCameo | as Gang Member No. 2 | 1981 | 11.7K | 7.3 | ||
| Eddie Murphy: Raw | as Eddie's Uncle | 1987 | 22K | 7.6 | ||
| Coming to America | as Hold-Up Man | 1988 | 243K | 7.1 | −0.5 | |
| Do the Right Thing | as Mister Señor Love Daddy | 1989 | 126.6K | 7.9 | +0.8 | |
| Sea of Love | as Black Guy | 1989 | 49.4K | 6.8 | −1.1 | |
| The Exorcist IIICameo | as Dream Blind Man | 1990 | 43.1K | 6.6 | ||
| GoodFellasCameo | as Stacks Edwards | 1990 | 1.4M | 8.7 | ||
| Mo' Better Blues | as Madlock | 1990 | 15.2K | 6.7 | −0.1 | |
| Jungle Fever | as Gator Purify | 1991 | 21.3K | 6.6 | −0.1 | |
| Juice | as Trip | 1992 | 34K | 7.0 | +0.4 | |
| Patriot Games | as Lt. Cmdr. Robby Jackson | 1992 | 129.9K | 6.9 | −0.1 | |
| Amos & Andrew | as Andrew Sterling | 1993 | 10.5K | 5.7 | −1.2 | |
| Jurassic Park | as Arnold | 1993 | 1.2M | 8.2 | +2.5 | |
| Menace II Society | as Tat Lawson | 1993 | 71.3K | 7.5 | −0.7 | |
| Loaded Weapon 1 | as Wes Luger | 1993 | 53.9K | 6.2 | −1.3 | |
| True Romance | as Big Don | 1993 | 264.9K | 7.9 | +1.7 | |
| Fresh | as Sam | 1994 | 16.5K | 7.5 | −0.4 | |
| Pulp FictionBest | as Jules Winnfield | 1994 | 2.5M | 8.8 | +1.3 | |
| Die Hard with a Vengeance | as Zeus Carver | 1995 | 434.1K | 7.6 | −1.2 | |
| Kiss of Death | as Calvin Hart | 1995 | 20.3K | 6.0 | −1.6 | |
| The Long Kiss Goodnight | as Mitch Henessey | 1996 | 94.1K | 6.8 | +0.8 | |
| A Time to Kill | as Carl Lee Hailey | 1996 | 213.4K | 7.5 | +0.7 | |
| Trees Lounge | as Wendell | 1996 | 17.8K | 7.1 | −0.4 | |
| Hard Eight | as Jimmy | 1996 | 60.7K | 7.1 | ±0.0 | |
| One Eight Seven | as Trevor | 1997 | 27.4K | 6.6 | −0.5 | |
| Eve's Bayou | as Louis Batiste | 1997 | 13.3K | 7.2 | +0.6 | |
| Jackie Brown | as Ordell Robbie | 1997 | 409.1K | 7.5 | +0.3 | |
| Sphere | as Dr. Harry Adams | 1998 | 118.5K | 6.1 | −1.4 | |
| The Negotiator | as Lt. Danny Roman | 1998 | 171.2K | 7.3 | +1.2 | |
| Out of SightCameo | as Hejira Henry (uncredited) | 1998 | 106.7K | 7.0 | ||
| The Red Violin | as Charles Morritz (Montréal) | 1998 | 36K | 7.6 | +0.3 | |
| Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom MenaceCameo | as Mace Windu | 1999 | 941.1K | 6.5 | ||
| Deep Blue Sea | as Russell Franklin | 1999 | 153.5K | 6.0 | −1.6 | |
| Rules of Engagement | as Col. Terry L. Childers | 2000 | 53.2K | 6.4 | +0.4 | |
| Shaft | as John Shaft | 2000 | 86.3K | 6.0 | −0.4 | |
| Unbreakable | as Elijah Price | 2000 | 472.5K | 7.3 | +1.3 | |
| Formula 51 | as Elmo McElroy | 2001 | 53.1K | 6.3 | −1.0 | |
| Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones | as Mace Windu | 2002 | 833.4K | 6.6 | +0.3 | |
| Changing Lanes | as Doyle Gipson | 2002 | 77.7K | 6.5 | −0.1 | |
| xXx | as Agent Augustus Gibbons | 2002 | 195.5K | 5.9 | −0.6 | |
| S.W.A.T. | as Sgt. Dan 'Hondo' Harrelson | 2003 | 161.1K | 6.1 | +0.2 | |
| Basic | as Drill Sgt. SFC Nathan West | 2003 | 70.3K | 6.4 | +0.3 | |
| Twisted | as John Mills | 2004 | 26.2K | 5.3 | −1.1 | |
| The Incredibles | as Lucius Best / Frozone (voice) | 2004 | 920.2K | 8.0 | +2.7 | |
| Kill Bill: Vol. 2Cameo | as Rufus | 2004 | 882.6K | 8.0 | ||
| Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody AffairCameo | as Rufus | 2004 | 64.3K | 8.7 | ||
| Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith | as Mace Windu | 2005 | 936.2K | 7.7 | −0.3 | |
| xXx: State of the UnionWorst | as Agent Augustus Gibbons | 2005 | 77.4K | 4.5 | −3.2 | |
| Coach Carter | as Ken Carter | 2005 | 196.2K | 7.4 | +2.9 | |
| The Man | as Derrick Vann | 2005 | 27.9K | 5.6 | −1.8 | |
| Freedomland | as Lorenzo Council | 2006 | 18K | 5.2 | −0.4 | |
| Snakes on a Plane | as Neville Flynn | 2006 | 150.8K | 5.5 | +0.3 | |
| Black Snake Moan | as Lazarus | 2006 | 69.4K | 6.9 | +1.4 | |
| Home of the Brave | as William Marsh | 2006 | 11.7K | 5.6 | −1.3 | |
| Resurrecting the Champ | as Champ | 2007 | 21.9K | 6.7 | +1.1 | |
| 1408 | as Gerald Olin | 2007 | 318.3K | 6.8 | +0.1 | |
| Cleaner | as Tom Cutler | 2007 | 50.4K | 6.1 | −0.7 | |
| Iron ManCameo | as Nick Fury (uncredited) | 2008 | 1.3M | 7.9 | ||
| Jumper | as Roland | 2008 | 340.4K | 6.1 | ±0.0 | |
| The Spirit | as Octopus | 2008 | 64.6K | 4.8 | −1.3 | |
| Lakeview Terrace | as Abel Turner | 2008 | 60.1K | 6.2 | +1.4 | |
| Soul Men | as Louis Hinds | 2008 | 12.5K | 6.4 | +0.2 | |
| Star Wars: The Clone Wars | as Mace Windu (voice) | 2008 | 84.8K | 6.0 | −0.4 | |
| Inglourious BasterdsCameo | as Narrator (voice) (uncredited) | 2009 | 1.8M | 8.4 | ||
| Astro Boy | as Zog (voice) | 2009 | 43.6K | 6.3 | +0.3 | |
| Mother and Child | as Paul | 2009 | 13.4K | 7.2 | +0.9 | |
| Unthinkable | as Henry Harold 'H' Humphries | 2010 | 101.6K | 7.0 | −0.2 | |
| Iron Man 2 | as Nick Fury | 2010 | 961.2K | 6.9 | −0.1 | |
| The Other Guys | as P.K. Highsmith | 2010 | 314.2K | 6.7 | −0.2 | |
| Captain America: The First Avenger | as Nick Fury | 2011 | 991.1K | 6.9 | +0.2 | |
| ThorCameo | as Nick Fury (uncredited) | 2011 | 987.4K | 7.0 | ||
| The Avengers | as Nick Fury | 2012 | 1.6M | 8.0 | +1.1 | |
| Meeting Evil | as Richie | 2012 | 13K | 5.3 | −2.7 | |
| Django Unchained | as Stephen | 2012 | 1.9M | 8.5 | +3.2 | |
| The Samaritan | as Foley | 2012 | 10.6K | 5.6 | −2.9 | |
| Oldboy | as Chaney | 2013 | 86K | 5.8 | +0.2 | |
| Turbo | as Whiplash (voice) | 2013 | 128.4K | 6.4 | +0.6 | |
| RoboCop | as Pat Novak | 2014 | 251K | 6.1 | −0.3 | |
| Captain America: The Winter Soldier | as Nick Fury | 2014 | 993.2K | 7.7 | +1.6 | |
| Big Game | as US President William Alan Moore | 2014 | 37.4K | 5.4 | −2.3 | |
| Reasonable Doubt | as Clinton Davis | 2014 | 21.7K | 5.7 | +0.3 | |
| Kingsman: The Secret Service | as Valentine | 2014 | 786K | 7.7 | +2.0 | |
| Barely Lethal | as Hardman | 2015 | 24.7K | 5.4 | −2.3 | |
| Avengers: Age of Ultron | as Nick Fury | 2015 | 1M | 7.3 | +1.9 | |
| The Hateful Eight | as Major Marquis Warren | 2015 | 733.1K | 7.8 | +0.5 | |
| Chi-Raq | as Dolmedes | 2015 | 11.4K | 5.9 | −1.9 | |
| Cell | as Thomas 'Tom' McCourt | 2016 | 33.5K | 4.5 | −1.4 | |
| The Legend of Tarzan | as George Washington Williams | 2016 | 199.9K | 6.2 | +1.7 | |
| Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children | as Barron | 2016 | 211.7K | 6.7 | +0.5 | |
| I Am Not Your Negro | as Narrator (voice) | 2016 | 25K | 7.9 | +1.2 | |
| xXx: Return of Xander Cage | as Agent Augustus Gibbons | 2017 | 102.8K | 5.2 | −2.7 | |
| The Hitman's Bodyguard | as Darius Kincaid | 2017 | 265.5K | 6.9 | +1.7 | |
| Unicorn Store | as The Salesman | 2017 | 21.7K | 5.6 | −1.3 | |
| Kong: Skull Island | as Lieutenant Colonel Preston Packard | 2017 | 379.9K | 6.7 | +1.1 | |
| Incredibles 2 | as Lucius Best / Frozone (voice) | 2018 | 379K | 7.5 | +0.8 | |
| Avengers: Infinity WarCameo | as Nick Fury (uncredited) | 2018 | 1.4M | 8.4 | ||
| Life Itself | as Self | 2018 | 27.6K | 6.9 | −0.6 | |
| The Last Full Measure | as Takoda | 2019 | 15.6K | 6.8 | −0.1 | |
| Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of SkywalkerCameo | as Mace Windu (voice) | 2019 | 552.5K | 6.3 | ||
| Captain Marvel | as Nick Fury | 2019 | 675.6K | 6.7 | −0.1 | |
| Avengers: EndgameCameo | as Nick Fury | 2019 | 1.5M | 8.4 | ||
| Shaft | as John Shaft | 2019 | 63K | 6.4 | −0.3 | |
| Spider-Man: Far from Home | as Nick Fury | 2019 | 680.2K | 7.3 | +0.9 | |
| Glass | as Elijah Price / Mr. Glass | 2019 | 308.6K | 6.6 | −0.7 | |
| The Banker | as Joe Morris | 2020 | 44K | 7.3 | +0.7 | |
| Spiral | as Marcus Banks | 2021 | 79K | 5.2 | −2.1 | |
| The Protégé | as Moody | 2021 | 43.4K | 6.1 | +0.9 | |
| Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard | as Darius Kincaid | 2021 | 121.7K | 6.1 | ±0.0 | |
| The Marvels | as Nick Fury | 2023 | 172.3K | 5.4 | −0.7 | |
| The Kill Room | as Gordon | 2023 | 10.3K | 5.5 | +0.1 | |
| Argylle | as Alfie | 2024 | 102.8K | 5.6 | +0.1 | |
| Damaged | as Dan Lawson | 2024 | 10.1K | 4.7 | −0.9 | |
| The Garfield Movie | as Vic (voice) | 2024 | 29.1K | 5.7 | +1.0 |
Movies with at least 10,000 votes on IMDb. Cameos, billed after the first 20 or uncredited, are listed but not counted.
Worked with
Scarlett Johansson
Hit and miss
First 5 6.5+0.1Latest 5 6.6
Quentin Tarantino
Shaken, not stirred
First 5 7.8+0.1Latest 5 7.9
Bruce Willis
The early years were better
First 5 6.6−3.2Latest 5 3.4
Chris Evans
Jumped the shark
First 5 6.0+0.2Latest 5 6.2
Gary Oldman
Not what it used to be
First 5 7.1−1.1Latest 5 6.0
Robert Downey Jr.
Getting better with age
First 5 6.4+1.2Latest 5 7.6