Samuel L. Jackson: I'm not king of cool

Samuel L. Jackson struggles to see himself as "cool".

The 66-year-old actor is a hero for many and continues to impress fans with his swagger in films such as The Avengers and other Marvel franchises.

While he might be the ultimate Hollywood icon, Samuel insists it's all about his on-screen portrayals.

"It has a lot to do with the characters I play," he reasoned to the German newspaper Bild.

"My private life is very boring. I sit at home a lot, reading or watching films. I don't drink, I don't smoke, I find it difficult to see myself as cool."

While many people would be thinking about retiring at Samuel's age, the star is adamant he wants to keep going. He has five films due out next year and always feels that drive to work hard.

"It's the same as with any other artist. Painters get up in the morning and paint. Writers get up and write. I get up in the mornings and act," he explained. "It's a blessing. In my theatre days, I was constantly acting. Whether it was on stage, at a casting or at rehearsal. Artists are artists and that comes with passion. I am passionate about my job."

Samuel still manages to have a fulfilling private life and has been married to his wife LaTanya since 1980. Luckily all the people around him understand his job.

"My wife is an actress and my daughter is grown up. She's a TV producer, so everyone knows what this business demands of you," he said. "For example, there's all the travelling. I've been with my wife since college. We always knew our life would be this way. So in that sense, it works well!"