Samuel L. Jackson is one of the most recognizable actors working today, but he only became a star later in life and has a career of lesser-known roles behind him. While everyone will immediately think of movies like Pulp Fiction and the MCU when it comes to Jackson, this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to offbeat and surprising appearances.

As one of the highest-grossing actors of all time, Jackson built up his reputation in Hollywood through supporting roles and brief cameo appearances. This means he continually pops up in older movies that viewers might not even be aware he was in, and it’s always exciting to see this future Hollywood icon deliver brief but memorable performances.

Samuel L. Jackson Plays A Robber In Coming To America

One of Samuel L. Jackson’s earliest roles came in the Eddie Murphy comedy classic Coming to America in 1988. While Jackson’s theater career goes back to the 1970s, it wasn’t until the 1980s that he started to find his footing in feature films, and it took until the end of the decade for him to start gaining major roles.

Jackson played a robber in Coming to America and was credited as the Hold-Up Man. While he was only onscreen for less than two minutes, Jackson made a big impression as he sH๏τ up McDowell’s restaurant before Murphy’s Prince Akeem Joffer took him down. With his signature foul-mouthed energy, Jackson’s performance echoed the larger-than-life characters he’d become known for.

Samuel L. Jackson Has A Few Other Notable Cameos

Coming to America wasn’t Jackson’s only notable cameo appearance, as his early career saw him pop up in acclaimed dramas like Ragtime or horror sequels such as The Exorcist III. These smaller-scale appearances occurred alongside Jackson’s fast-building reputation working with prestige directors like Spike Lee on critical hits like School Daze and Do the Right Thing.

Even after becoming a star, Jackson continued to embrace the power of a good cameo. Superhero fans will fondly remember Jackson’s first appearance in the MCU as Nick Fury, where he introduced film audiences to a potential Avenger crossover movie in the very first post-credit scene of this billion-dollar cinematic universe.

Jackson’s career has traversed so many styles and genres that it’s not surprising he’s a familiar face in everything from cult comedies to major blockbusters. While it was only a brief role, Samuel L. Jackson’s turn in Coming to America is the perfect example of how he used smaller appearances as a springboard toward becoming a Hollywood icon.