# In 1995, Samuel L Jackson’s agent begged him not to take a role. 30 years later, he calls it the greatest he ever played

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/in-1995-samuel-l-jacksons-agent-begged-him-not-to-take-a-role-30-years-later-he-calls-it-the-greatest-he-ever-played/
- Published: 2026-11-05T17:45:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-05T19:06:48+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/samuel-l-jackson-agent-begged-him-not-to-take-greatest-role-ever/
- Topics: Music

## Key points

- Jackson’s team advised him against *The Long Kiss Goodnight*.
- He now calls Mitch Henessey his greatest role.
- The film later developed a strong cult following.

## Summary

In 1995, Samuel L Jackson’s representatives urged him not to take a role in Shane Black’s action thriller *The Long Kiss Goodnight*. Three decades later, Jackson says the film has a substantial cult following and identifies Mitch Henessey as the greatest role of his career, showing how a project once questioned by his team became especially meaningful to him.

Jackson was an Academy Award nominee after *Pulp Fiction* and was choosing from more prominent projects, including *A Time to Kill* and *Die Hard with a Vengeance*. Black was a highly paid screenwriter, and New Line Cinema reportedly paid $4 million for the script in 1994. The film was overlooked at the box office, but Jackson has praised its lasting appeal and the fit between Black’s dialogue and his performance.

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