1) Samuel L. Jackson
Let’s get the obvious #1 choice for a grouping like this out of the way. Samuel L. Jackson has to be, without question, the near-unanimous pick for the greatest cursor in movie history, and possibly in human history.
Nobody brings out the best of Samuel L. Jackson’s particular set of skills like Quentin Tarantino. Django Unchained, Jackie Brown, and most notably, Pulp Fiction cemented Jackson as an electric performer with impressive range, including but not limited to the range of ways he can say “motherfucker.” He became so famous for his use of the word that it surprised no one when he stated last year that it was his favorite word to use. What was a surprise was that he said so at a gala for the American Institute for Stuttering—evidently, the word stops him from a stutter he has had since growing up. Maybe he learned the trick from King George.
His portrayal of Jules in Pulp Fiction is iconic, a perfect marriage of Tarantino’s dialogue and Jackson’s delivery. It’s also why his famous catchphrase from Snakes on a Plane sums up his audience appeal to perfection.