“Never want to see you motherf**ers again”: Samuel L. Jackson Told Rehab Staff to F*k off After They Begged Him to Not Do $43M Spike Lee Movie
Samuel L. Jackson is a renowned American actor known for his breakthrough role as the crack addict Gator in Spike Lee’s Jungle Fever. Jackson’s role was appreciated by the audience, and he won a special jury prize for the best supporting actor at the Cannes Film Festival. The 74-year-old actor indeed aced the role of a drug addict, as his real-life resembled his character in the movie.
It’s not an unknown fact that Jackson once had a tough time dealing with his drug addiction. There was a point in Jackson’s life when he thought that he wasn’t capable of acting while sober. During the time of Jungle Lee, Jackson was told to reject the role because of his drug addiction.
Why was Samuel L. Jackson told to reject Jungle Fever?
Samuel L. Jackson‘s breakthrough role in his cinematic career was in Spike Lee’s Jungle Fever, where he was seen playing the role of a drug addict. Durgs affected Jackon in such a manner that he started wondering if he would be able to act without consuming drugs.
Genius is the one who knows when to stop. Jackson got concerned about his personal and professional life and decided to overcome his drug addiction. The Avengers actor was in rehab when he was considered for the role of drug addict Gator in Jungle Fever. Since Jackson was recovering from his drug addiction, he was cautioned to turn down the role as this might provoke his drug addiction. The Jurassic Park actor didn’t give heed and opted to work in the movie. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the actor said,
“All the people in rehab were trying to talk me out of it.”‘You’re going to be messing around with crack pipes. All your triggers will be there. Blah, blah, blah.’ I was like, ‘You know what? If for no other reason than I never want to see you motherf***ers again, I will never pick up another drug.’ ‘Cause I hated their asses.”
Things might have been difficult for Jackson after that, but his reluctance to listen to anyone gave him a breakthrough role that landed him a special jury award for the best supporting actor.
Challenges Samuel L. Jackson faced while overcoming his drug addiction
It’s not easy to overcome a habit in a day. It takes a lot to beat an addiction and live a normal life again. Samuel L. Jackson is one of those heroes who conquered his addiction and prioritized his life. Jackson’s journey towards this change was not so easy; he faced many challenges and ultimately overcame his addiction. During this process, Jackson became apprehensive that his career might be affected once his drug addiction was treated. The Big Game actor claimed that his wife, LaTanya Richardson, supported him a lot during this journey. He said,
“She didn’t have to try to fix me. She could’ve just said, ‘Get out,’ and left me in the world; let me go and be whatever I was going to be.”
The actor previously said that he couldn’t act without taking drugs. And after going to rehab and getting better, he faced a new challenge. Jackson doubted if he could act as good as he used to while he was drugs. The actor said,
“When I was in rehab, I remember doubting if I could be an actor without using drugs because I’d never done anything without drugs or alcohol before. That was the first thing I’d done substance-free. So it never occurred to me that it was going to happen, but I knew that I just couldn’t give up on the acting thing because it’s just who I was and who I am. I still have lots of friends in New York doing plays, making a living. And if I hadn’t had the breaks that I’ve had, I’d probably be back there with them.”
Jackson has worked in movies for over 40 years, and most of his movies were high-grossing box-office successes.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
