Throughout his career as a stone-cold cool dude, actor Samuel L. Jackson has had some equally icy lines that entertain, threaten, or just plain rock. And in this list, we’re about to run through a sampling of those beautiful moments of cinematic dialogue that help keep Mr. Jackson on the list of coolest actors in the business.
“Hold onto your butts” - Jurassic Park
You have to know a handful of people who have used this expression from the Jurassic Park universe. As Samuel L. Jackson’s Ray Arnold is ready to throw the switch to reboot the park, he tosses out this line that puts “here goes nothing” out of a job.
“Mmm-mmmm. That is a tasty burger.” - Pulp Fiction
Pulp Fiction’s first big confrontation is rife with tension, swear words, and eventual violence. But just as things are kicking off, hitman Jules finds time to sample the cuisine of one of the finest fake movie businesses, with the Big Kahuna Burger. It goes without saying, the man digs what he tastes, and Jackson never eases up on the menace as he partakes.
“They call me Mr. Glass” - Unbreakable
The huge twist ending to Unbreakable is already chilling enough on its own. But putting Samuel L. Jackson in a position of supervillainy is one of the most brilliant moves director M. Night Shyamalan ever pulled. He may have done some really evil stuff to find Bruce Willis’ super-powered metahuman, but you kinda can’t get mad after hearing this beauty dropped. Mostly because you’re afraid for yourself, but still.
“Honey? Where’s my super suit?!” - The Incredibles
For as much as Samuel L. Jackson likes to swear, the man can absolutely play in a variety of sandboxes. Disney/Pixar’s The Incredibles proved that pretty effectively, as the actor’s role as Frozone was both literally, and figuratively, cool; even in a moment of pure comedic panic.
“And that’s the truth, Ruth!” - Do The Right Thing
Every DJ worth their salt has a memorable catchphrase that never gets old. And as Mister Senor Love Daddy in Spike Lee’s seminal classic Do The Right Thing, Samuel’s dulcet tones of wisecracks and wisdom are often accompanied by this solid signature phrase.
"But if you want to stay ahead of me, Mr. Secretary, you need to keep both eyes open.” - Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Casting Samuel L. Jackon as the MCU’s Nick Fury was always a solid move for the Marvel movies. And if you had any doubts before Captain America: The Winter Soldier, it’s a safe bet that the moment Nick shows his damaged eye off to rival Alexander Pierce (Robert Redford), while laying out this solid one-liner, crushed all remaining questions.
“I’ve had it with these Monkeyfighting Snakes, on this Monday to Friday plane!” - Snakes on a Plane
Yes, we know this isn’t the like that made Snakes on a Plane internet gold. However, even a sanitized TV edit isn’t enough for Samuel L. Jackson’s natural authority to shine through. To be able to nail a moment like that, in both the theatrical and broadcast versions, and not lose a step? That takes real monkeyfighting skill.
“We're going to pull together and we're gonna find a way to get out of here! First, we're gonna seal off this pool!” - Deep Blue Sea
You wouldn’t have expected Mr. Jackson to die in a horrific shark attack while delivering the typical “call to action” speech in Deep Blue Sea. And yet, in a role written especially to get him to be in the movie, that’s exactly what happened. You can tell by the way that he sells the line in the moment, Sam is having a blast; and that kind of makes it all better.
“This party’s over.” - Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones
How many actors get to say they’ve held Sir Christopher Lee at lightsaber-point, and dropped a Western one-liner? Samuel L. Jackson certainly can, and the lead-up to his Star Wars: Attack of the Clones only makes it all the icier, as we see Mace Windu walking into the scene framed like a cowboy looking to settle a score.
“When your friends betray you, sometimes the only people you can trust are strangers.” - The Negotiator
The Negotiator is a severely underrated noir thriller where Lieutenant Danny Roman doesn’t know who to trust, while also trying to uncover a police conspiracy. Jackson’s portrayal of this role allows him to have moments of threat and bargaining, with the ensuing dialogue reflecting that skill all the better.
“I am the cavalry.” - Kong: Skull Island
The folks behind the marketing for Kong: Skull Island knew what they were doing when they crafted an entire TV ad around this macho line. As Samuel evaluates the scenario that has him part of a team studying this infamous MonsterVerse location, he eventually sets himself up as a conquering hero. These words only become more powerful in the moment when Jackson faces down Kong in a fiery blaze, as we know this man will do anything to survive; and we’re led to believe he just might.
“Well, this ain't that kind of movie.” = Kingsman: The Secret Service
Villainy suits Samuel L. Jackson just as well as heroism, and Matthew Vaughn gave us one of the best examples of that statement at work in Kingsman: The Secret Service. What’s even cooler about this line he delivers against Colin Firth’s soon-to-die hero is that he sets the audience up for a last-minute save that spy movie fans are expecting, just before finishing him off.
“Here's hoping you never get mad at me, man.” - Patriot Games
Most people probably forget that Samuel L. Jackson was in one of the Harrison Ford entries of the Jack Ryan movies. As the formidable Robby Jackson, the future Star Wars player gets to team up with Han Solo himself, as well as trade some A+ action movie dialogue in the process of ensuring international security.
“Are you saying something negative about the Great state of Mississippi?” - Basic
The military mystery thriller Basic sets up Samuel L. Jackson’s Sergeant Nathan West to be a nasty piece of work. And this scene where he plays mind games with an unwitting Taye Diggs solidifies that position rather nicely, as quick contradictions, and a little light bodily harm, set up the relationship between the players rather effectively.
“You thinkin' what I'm thinkin', partner?” - The Other Guys
Cameos are a hard beast to tackle, as you need to make an impression while not distracting from the plot at hand. Samuel L. Jackson and Dwayne Johnson understood that assignment in The Other Guys, and their handful of scenes set Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg up for success. Also, after this brilliant moment leads to one of the funniest on-screen deaths, set to the Foo Fighters’ “My Hero,” you’ll probably never hear that song the same way again.
“Yeah, Zeus! As in, father of Apollo? Mt. Olympus? … Zeus! You got a problem with that?” - Die Hard With A Vengeance
We’re not here to argue which Die Hard sequel is best. There’s absolutely no question that Die Hard with a Vengeance takes that crown, and for several reasons. One of which is its casting of Samuel L. Jackson as Zeus, the partner in crime-stopping to Bruce Willis’s John McClane in his return to New York City. With moments like this forming their partnership, it’s a pairing you knew was going to work like gangbusters.
“Question for a higher power. Who is more wicked, he who kills evil … or he who protects them?” - The Hitman’s Bodyguard
While The Hitman’s Bodyguard isn’t a Quentin Tarantino collaboration, this line in particular recalls some of Samuel’s more ponderous moments in that partnership. Bringing philosophy into the equation of evaluating his role as a hitman, it’s one of the more serious moments in his Ryan Reynolds frenemy-based adventure.
“I recognise the council has made a decision, but … I've elected to ignore it.” - The Avengers
Yeah, Nick Fury’s not one to mince words, even in the MCU. While The Avengers was obviously years before Marvel’s first F-Bomb, there was still a little room for Mr. Jackson to get out some PG-13 insults that played like a straight-up R-rating in the delivery. And to be fair, the World Security Council’s decision to nuke New York City in a bid to end the Chitauri invasion deserved every bit of polite scrutiny.
“I never did one thing right in my life, you know that? Not one. That takes skill.” - The Long Kiss Goodnight
How Samuel L. Jackson hasn’t done more Shane Black movies is a mystery to the masses. That conundrum doesn’t get any easier to process when looking back on his part in The Long Kiss Goodnight, as statements like Mitch Hennessy’s claim to fame here make this pairing feel like a hand-in-glove fit.
“Move a little strange, you're gonna get a bullet. Not a warning, not a question, a bullet!” - The Hateful Eight
Samuel L. Jackson and Quentin Tarantino movies are almost always laboratories for the art of creative profanity and threat delivery. The Hateful Eight exercised both of those muscles as bounty hunter Major Marquis Warren, a would-be detective in the midst of some very untrustworthy characters. Hence the firm, but fair, warning issued here.
“Take a *seat*, young Skywalker.” - Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith
Not many people get to say that they told Darth Vader to sit down, and right after denying him the rank of Jedi Master. But even with this Revenge of the Sith moment providing a little bit of sympathy for Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen), you kinda just hope he’ll listen to Master Windu. We all know what he has written on his lightsaber.
“You know how I came up with the idea for the Triple-X program? Skateboards and swimming pools.” - xXx: The Return of Xander Cage
Recruiting X-Games athletes to become super spies may be an idea totally worthy of the Aughts, but program creator Augustus Gibbons doesn’t see a problem with it. And judging by how ridiculously fun xXx: The Return of Xander Cage turned out to be, he may have been onto something.
“You know anything about a lady blowing up a Blockbuster? Witnesses say she was dressed for laser tag.” - Captain Marvel
When Captain Marvel was introduced to the MCU, her powers and importance to the endgame ahead were heavily emphasized. So when you’ve got a hero big in the mix, you’re going to need a couple of sly comedic lines to set up their lore a little further. Behold, Nick Fury’s description of Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) in the form she fell to Earth in.
“The fact that this mother...is not serving time in some federal penitentiary is a huge, hot, heaping pile of horse…” - Robocop (2014)
Believe it or not, this isn’t a TV edit of Samuel L. Jackson’s part in the Robocop reboot. As blowhard political commentator Pat Novak, his anger about the fallout of OCP’s malfeasance actually has an in-universe reason to be bleeped from the picture; and it's the perfect button of humor to end the film with.
“Startin' to see pictures, ain't ya?” - The Hateful Eight
Towards the end of a monologue that sees Samuel L. Jackson’s Hateful Eight character taunting Bruce Dern into making a move that could cost him his life. Telling a horrifically lewd story, Jackson drops this solid expression of teasing contempt, and watching it play out is extremely satisfying.
“If that dude was real, he'd think he was ME.” - Shaft (2019)
Maybe the James Bond movies should look into hiring Samuel L. Jackson as a future contender for Bond. After he delivered this punchline in the Shaft legacy-quel alongside Jessie T. Usher, you can’t help but wonder what Samuel would be like in a role of that sort of action and charm.
“Well, that sounds like the bad guys teaming up.” - Glass
How do you follow up James McAvoy’s chilling invocation of several of his Split personas in order to align his fate with Samuel L. Jackson’s Mr. Glass? You let the titular villain do whatever he wants, as Jackson’s handling of the moment reminds you of just how Unbreakable this character’s resolve truly is.
“Sir, I’m gonna have to ask you to exit the donut.” - Iron Man 2
While Iron Man 2’s big donut moment isn’t one of the finest for Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), it’s certainly a good opportunity for his future Avengers boss to crack-wise. That, and only someone like Samuel L. Jackson can deliver a line like this, and really make it sing.
“Everybody strap in! I’m about to open some windows!” - Snakes on a Plane
Snakes on a Plane has some of the best profanity that one could expect out of Samuel L. Jackson. At the same time, when they dialed down the swears in the TV edit of the film, the intensity still remained roughly equivalent to what people got in theaters. The snakes never stood a chance.
“If my answers frighten you then you should cease asking scary questions.” - Pulp Fiction
Quentin Tarantino loves a philosophical hitman, and Pulp Fiction was an early test case for his talent for writing and directing such scenes. It was also a pretty vital testing ground for Samuel L. Jackson to get into character and establish a style that he continues to revisit to this day.
“What the hell? Mount up.” - SWAT
Did 2003’s film adaptation of the classic TV show S.W.A.T. ever get a sequel? No, it did not. But do people kind of wish it did, especially after Samuel L. Jackson put out this call to action in the final teaser for such a prospect? We’d be willing to bet people would say yes.
“Our Past is never where we left it , we all have scars. If you stare at them long enough you will remember how you got them.” - The Protégé
Samuel L. Jackson isn’t just a man of action, he’s also a pretty awesome mentor in the world of the movies. Giving this sage piece of advice to Maggie Q in The Protégé only proved that point further, even if Jackson then proceeded to disappear for a good chunk of the movie not too long after.
