Samuel L. Jackson has never worried about being the lead in a movie.

The 68-year-old actor is among the best-known faces in the movie industry, but has insisted his career choices have never been driven by ego, meaning he's been happy to play small roles in high-profile films.

He shared: "I watched movies all my life. And I knew who character actors are. I always wanted to be those guys that move the story along in a way, or when you saw them, you knew a specific kind of thing was going to happen."

The Hollywood icon cited his minor role in the Eddie Murphy comedy 'Coming To America' as one example.

In the 1988 movie, Jackson played a minimal role in which his character tried to rob a fast-food restaurant.

He told Den of Geek: "When I did 'Coming To America' and I robbed MacDonald's, I wanted that robber to be special, so I gave him a desperation that you wouldn't normally have in a movie like that. You know?

"To be a foil for Eddie Murphy. [But] I had my own thing happening. You knew I needed that money. I wanted it. And if I didn't get it, someone was gonna get hurt. You know?

"So, when you leave, and your scene is over, people are still talking, 'Man, that robbery scene was off the chain!'"

What's more, Jackson has always accepted he was never going to be "the guy that gets the girl".

He explained: "You don't necessarily need to be, you know, the lead guy. I mean, I wasn't gonna be the guy that gets the girl. You know. I wasn't Denzel [Washington], I wasn't ... you know ... Howard Rollins."