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Total Recall

Samuel L Jackson as Kuato, leader of the resistance, giving Arnold Schwarzenegger an acting lesson.

Over time Jackson developed the useful ability to compress his body into very small spaces, which he learnt from watching mice. Despite this, Marshall Bell, who played 'host twin' George to Jackson's Kuato, had to be admitted to hospital after filming with a badly bruised spleen.

Apocalypse Now

Martin Sheen's Captain Willard grows uneasy as Samuel L Jackson lurks menacingly in the swamp.

In order to stay focused during the long shoot, Jackson took to turning up to work naked - mindful also to avoid clothing-related jungle ailments such as nipple-chafe. Marlon Brando was so impressed by this dedication that he later copied the method, filming most of The Score (2001) in the nude.

Roundhay Garden Scene

In the earliest surviving moving picture ever made, Samuel L Jackson demonstrates his intuitive grasp of the film actor's art. As the other actors caper about in the garden, one's eye is drawn to the window where Jackson's enigmatic character broods intensely.

The movie itself is shrouded in intrigue. Some of the film is missing. Ten days after shooting, actress Sarah Whitley was dead. In 1890, director Louis Le Prince mysteriously disappeared from a Paris train. And in 1902 his son Alphonse Le Prince, also in the film, was found shot dead at a New York duck shoot in a presumed suicide.

Jackson, the only surviving cast member, steadfastly refuses to comment on the matter.

Invaders from Mars

Samuel L Jackson playing the mysterious Martian 'Intelligence', controller of the mutants. An early proponent of method acting, Jackson remained in character for the duration of the shoot, insisting on being carried around in a glass bowl. The extra expense of the bowl-carriers and the tight budget meant that cutbacks had to be made, and so little David Maclean's dog Cricket was written out of the script.

Bedknobs and Broomsticks

Samuel L Jackson adds a touch of menace to the classic Disney musical. Reportedly, Angela Lansbury was so infuriated by Jackson's professionalism that she vowed never to work with him again. However, Jackson has proven to have had the last laugh, having appeared in more episodes of 'Murder She Wrote' than Lansbury herself, often without her knowledge.

Willy Wonka

Samuel L Jackson shines in the role of 'Moody Oompa'. Behind him, 'Oompa 3' is clearly impressed by his magnetic charisma. Eagle-eyed observers will notice William H Macy standing right at the back in his film debut as 'Oversize Oompa', displaying his now trademark self-deprecating grin. Sadly, he was considered ahead of his time and didn't work again for seven years.