Samuel L. Jackson insists he doesn't need to win an Oscar to be successful

In an interview with the i newspaper, he said: "I don't have an Oscar. But I don't think it will define my career if I never get one. No one is saying 'Ah man, he worked all those years, and never got an Oscar, he's such a failure!"

While Samuel is pleased the likes of 'Fences', 'Moonlight' and 'Loving' have been tipped for awards success following last year's #OscarsSoWhite controversy over the lack of diversity in the nominations, he insists that doesn't necessarily mean things will change when the Oscar winners are announced next month.

He warned: "'Manchester by the Sea' - amazing, brilliant; there are no black people in that movie."

The xXx: Return of Xander Cage' actor views his movies as nothing more than entertainment and escapism.

He said: "I see myself as someone who gives people an opportunity to get away from their everyday lives for two hours."

The iconic star plays NSA Agent Augustus Gibbons for the third time in the new 'xXx' movie and insists not much has changed with his character.

He said: "I play the same cat I always have. I go to [the leads]. I tell them what to do. I come back and I say, good job."

While he hasn't won many awards, the 'Snakes on a Plane' actor is proud so many of his lines of dialogue have proved memorable to audiences.

He said: "There are people who have spent their whole career acting, and not one person can remember a word that they have said."