“Since Pulp Fiction, it seems safe to argue, Jackson has been the busiest actor on the planet too. This year he has four movies, his annual average since 1994, coming out, including ‘The Avengers’ next month, based on the Marvel comic book. He’s been in big-budget films like ‘Jurassic Park’; low-budget movies like ‘Black Snake Moan’; blockbusters like ‘Star Wars’ and bombs like ‘The Long Kiss Goodnight.’ He’s been the star, played the sidekick, filled bit parts. His acting has been critically acclaimed and panned as ‘lackluster’. But one thing remains constant: Samuel L. Jackson works. It’s all but impossible to turn on a TV set any night of the week without happening on one of his movies. Hence his anointment by Guinness World Records as ‘the highest-grossing film actor’ of all time. His movies have taken in more than $7.4 billion, most of which, he pointed out, ‘didn’t end up in my pocket.’ Maybe not, but the residuals alone earn him about $300,000 a year. ‘I get paid all day, every day,’ he said — ‘which is almost too much for a sensitive artist.” w/ photos
