Samuel L. Jackson remembers how ‘Pulp Fiction’ “changed my life” on its 30th anniversary

15 October, 2024

Samuel L Jackson

Samuel L. Jackson has shared his memories of how Pulp Fiction “changed my life” on the 30th anniversary of the film’s release.

Quentin Tarantino’s cult classic was released in cinemas on October 14, 1994, and it starred Jackson as Jules Winnfield, the partner in crime to John Travolta’s Vincent Vega, both of whom are working for Ving Rhames’ Marsellus Wallace.

Also starring Uma Thurman, Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Amanda Plummer, Christopher Walken and Bruce Willis, the film became a major critical and commercial success, popularising long, conversational dialogue and non-linear storytelling in mainstream cinema. It won the Palme d’Or at the 1994 Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars.

Reminiscing about the impact the film had on his career, Jackson posted on X on Monday (October 14) to celebrate three decades of the film’s existence.

“Pulp Fiction is 30!” he wrote. “This movie launched like a rocket out of Cannes and changed my life. It debuted in theaters on this day in 1994 and I’ll always remember the audience reaction.”

“I knew this film was something special after that,” he added. “AND 30 YEARS LATER, IT STILL IS.”

Jackson, who had appeared in a number of acclaimed Spike Lee films (Do the Right Thing, Mo’ Better Blues, Jungle Fever) before Pulp Fiction, saw his career take off as a result of the role of Jules, picking up a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination. He is currently the highest-grossing actor of all time.

The cast of the film gathered together for its 30th anniversary at the TCM Classic Film Festival in April this year, honouring Willis, who is living with frontotemporal dementia and was unable to attend. Willis’ daughter Tallulah and wife Emma were there to represent him at the event.

Last year, the original cast list for Pulp Fiction resurfaced online, revealing that Travolta and Jackson were both second-choice options. Michael Madsen had been Tarantino’s first pick to play Travolta’s Vincent, while Laurence Fishburne was listed ahead of Jackson for the character of Jules.

It had been reported that Tarantino was planning to reunite with Travolta and Jackson on his next film The Movie Critic, although it emerged in April that the directed had decided to scrap the film altogether.

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