Samuel L. Jackson, then — Before he would enter the Guinness Book of World Records as the highest-grossing actor of all time, Jackson played small roles in dozens of films since the 1970s and 80s. The Morehouse College graduate, despite his perseverance, didn’t make any noise in Hollywood until after 1988’s “Coming to America.” Hollywood is a game of attrition and, after a decade or more of obscurity with bit roles, Jackson finally won out.
