>>> WE ARE BACK, 8:38.
WE'RE IN THE PRESENCE OF AN
ICON.
YOU JUST DIE EVERY TIME I SAY
IT.
THE LEGENDARY SAMUEL L. JACKSON,
IT'S TRUE.
>> OF COURSE.
ONE OF HOLLYWOOD'S BIGGEST
STARS, HIS LATEST PROJECT, THE
LAST DAYS OF TLOMEY GRAY, IT'S
INCREDIBLE.
>> HE STARS AS AN AGING MAN
DETERIORATING FROM ALZHEIMER'S
AND DEMENTIA WHO IS GIVEN A
BRIEF OPPORTUNITY TO BRING BACK
ALL OF HIS MEMORIES.
OF COURSE IT COMES WITH AN
EMOTIONAL COST.
TAKE A LOOK.
>> IT SEEMS LIKE I CAN'T
REMEMBER NOTHING.
I SIT AND I THINK ABOUT WHEN
LITTLE MOLL PET IT COME TO LIVE
WITH US, THEN I TRY TO THINK
WHAT DAY IT IS, AIN'T GOT A
CLUE.
>> SO YOU WANT ME TO TAKE YOU TO
THAT SPECIAL DOCTOR?
SPECIAL DOCTOR, THE ONE THAT
MIGHT COULD HELP YOU REMEMBER
THINGS?
>> WHEN THAT CHICKEN GOING TO
COME?
>> SAMUEL L. JACKSON, GOOD
MORNING.
>> GIVE ANY SPOILERS.
>> WE'RE ALREADY LIKE GETTING
THE CHILLS OVER IT.
THIS IS SO PROFOUND ACTUALLY, AS
SOMEONE WHO'S BEEN TOUCHED BY
ALZHEIMER'S AND DEMENTIA IN YOUR
FAMILY AND YOUR LIFE, THE WHOLE
PREMISE OF IF FOR A MOMENT, A
BRIEF MOMENT YOU COULD GET ALL
YOUR MEMORIES BACK, WHAT THAT
WOULD MEAN.
IS THAT KIND OF WHAT DREW YOU TO
THIS STORY?
>> WELL, I WAS DRAWN TO THE
STORY JUST BECAUSE IT'S --
WALTER'S JUST SUCH A WONDERFUL
WRITER AND THERE'S SO MANY
THINGS THAT HAPPENED IN THERE
THAT RESONATE WITH ME, YOU KNOW,
THE FAMILY CONNECTION, THE
PEOPLE WHO AREN'T YOUR FAMILY
SOMETIMES LIKE, WHO'S CLOSER,
YOUR FAMILY OR SOMEONE WHO COMES
INTO YOUR LIFE AND CARES FOR YOU
IN A GENUINE AND REAL WAY.
OR WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE MIND
OF THAT PERSON THAT'S SITTING
THERE OR WATCHING THE LIGHT GO
OUT IN SOMEBODY'S EYES THAT YOU
LOVED SO LONG, YOU KNOW, AND
TALKING TO THEM AND NOT BEING --
YOU DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE
REACHING THEM OR NOT, YOU KNOW,
BUT IN MY OPINION NOW, THEY
CARED FOR YOU.
THEY NURTURED YOU.
THEY GAVE YOU SOMETHING, AND NOW
IT'S YOUR TURN TO GIVE BACK TO
THEM.
>> MY GRANDMOTHER HAD
ALZHEIMER'S IN HIGH SCHOOL IN
SANTA MONICA AND I WOULD GO FROM
SAN MO TO HER HOUSE EVERY DAY
UPON MY FATHER ENCOURAGING ME.
WE DON'T KNOW HOW THIS IS GOING
TO GO, SPEND TIME WITH YOUR
GRANDMOTHER.
SHE WAS ALIVE, MAKING ME PASTA.
QUICKLY SHE DETERIORATED.
WE WOULD JUST PRAY AND THAT
LIGHTENED WAS DWINDLING, I
WONDER WHAT YOU THOUGHT THE
MESSAGE WOULD BE FOR PEOPLE
DEALING WITH THIS IN THEIR
LEAVES, HOW TO TREAT THESE
PEOPLE?
>> THE BEST THING, I THINK, IS
TO GIVE THEM AS MUCH LOVE AS YOU
POSSIBLY CAN GIVE THEM SO THAT
YOU DON'T LEAVE THEM ALONE.
YOU DON'T ISOLATE THEM.
YOU DON'T SHUN THEM OR SHY AWAY
FROM THEM BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT
THE PERSON THAT YOU REMEMBER.
>> YEAH.
>> IT'S YOUR JOB AS THE
COGNIZANT ONE TO COMFORT THAT
PERSON AND GIVE THEM AS MUCH --
>> AND TREAT THEM LIKE THE ROCK
STAR YOU KNOW THEY ARE EVEN IF
THEY'RE NOT PHYSICALLY IN THAT
MOMENT.
>> IF THEY TOUCHED YOU THE RIGHT
WAY, THEN YOU CAN TOUCH THEM THE
RIGHT WAY.
IT'S THE LESSONS THEY GAVE YOU
THAT ALLOW YOU TO LOVE THEM THE
RIGHT WAY.
>> LOVE AND JUST PRESENCE
CONVEY --
>> YOU HOPE.
>> -- EVERYTHING.
WE HOPE.
THIS STORY IS SO MEANINGFUL FOR
YOU.
IT TOOK A LONG TIME FOR THIS
MOMENT TO COME.
YOU WERE INTERESTED IN THE
STORY, I HEARD YOU THOUGHT A
MOVIE BUT NOW AS A SERIES.
>> WELL, WHEN YOU FIRST GATHER A
PROJECT, PEOPLE TRY AND FIND
WAYS TO COMPRESS IT AND MAKE IT
A THING, BUT I NEVER THOUGHT
THAT IT WAS AN HOUR AND A HALF
OR TWO-HOUR STORY, AND WHEN YOU
PUSH BACK AGAINST THAT,
ESPECIALLY WITH THE ENTITIES
THAT I WAS TALKING TO THAT HAD
SERIES, WELL, CAN'T YOU MAKE A
SERIES?
AND THEY JUST DIDN'T WANT TO DO
IT.
SO I WOULDN'T DO IT UNTIL, YOU
KNOW, I WAS TRYING TO FIGURE IT
OUT, AND THEN I HAD LET THEM
ACQUIRE THE RIGHTS FROM ME.
SO I HAD TO WAIT UNTIL THEY PUT
IT IN TURN AROUND SO I COULD GET
IT BACK.
>> THE ACTRESS THAT PLAYS ROBIN.
>> DOCKMINIQUE FISHER.
>> SHE'S AMAZING.
>> YOUR WIFE, YOU REALIZED THIS
LATER THAT SHE HAD MENTIONED
HER.
>> SHE WAS GOING TO SHOW ME A
HERO WITH LA TONYA YEARS AGO ON
HBO AND THEN I SAW HER IN "THE
DEUCE," AND I KEPT SAYING HOW
OLD IS THIS KID, AND I SAW HER
IN THIS MOVIE WITH JAMIE FOXX
AND SHE WAS A TEENAGER AGAIN,
AND THEN I SAW HER IN JUDAS AND
THE BLACK MESSIAH, AND I WAS
LIKE THAT'S HER, DOMINIQUE.
AND AS WE STARTED THE CASTING
PROCESS, SHE WAS THE PERSON THAT
MY WIFE KEPT GOING DOMINIQUE.
DOMINIQUE, THAT'S THE GIRL YOU
WANT.
>> SHE'S LIKE I TOLD YOU.
>> SHE'S THE GIRL YOU WANT.
>> YOU WERE ABOUT TO RECEIVE AN
EXTRAORDINARY HONOR, WHICH IS
WHY WE WERE CALLING YOU LEGEND,
ALL THAT STUFF.
YOU'RE GOING TO GET THE LIFETIME
ACHIEVEMENT AWARD AT THE OSCARS.
>> I DON'T KNOW IF THEY CALL IT
THAT.
>> WHAT DO THEY CALL IT?
EVERYONE'S SAYING YOU'RE GOING
TO GET AN HONORARY OSCAR.
>> IT SAYS LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT.
>> DOES IT?
>> FINE, HOPEFULLY, I'M NOT
DONE.
I GOT A COUPLE OF OTHER THINGS I
WANT TO DO.
>> DOES IT FEEL COOL TO HAVE
THAT?
>> IT'S AWESOME.
EVERY ACTOR WHEN YOU START OUT,
THAT'S THE PENULTIMATE THING
THAT YOU WANT.
YOU WANT OSCAR, YOU SIT AT HOME
AND YOU WATCH IT ALL THOSE YEARS
AND HOPE THAT YOU CAN GET
NOMINATED OR DO SOMETHING THAT'S
WORTHY OF IT, AND YOU KNOW, I
THINK I DID THAT AT SOME POINT.
DIDN'T HAPPEN --
>> YOU GOT ROBBED FOR BUGSY WE
KNOW, YOU GOT ROBBED.
>> NOW YOU'RE GETTING LIKE THE
BIG -- LIKE THE GRAND OF OSCARS.
>> TO HAVE THE GOVERNOR SAY THAT
YOU'VE DONE ENOUGH WORK THAT YOU
REPRESENTED HOLLYWOOD IN A WAY
THAT WE WANTED THE WORLD TO SEE
HOLLYWOOD THAT YOU'RE, YOU KNOW,
AS I GUESS YOU SAY, ICON SKPIKIC
HAVE DONE THINGS, I PUT A LOT OF
BUTTS IN SEATS.
>> THAT AND "STAR WARS" RIGHT
THERE.
>> YOU WERE WILLING TO DO THAT
FOR FREE.
SO THAT'S GOOD.
>> LISTEN, YOU'VE DONE ALMOST
150 PROJECTS BUT THERE'S
SOMETHING VERY SPECIAL ABOUT
THIS ONE.
IT TOOK OVER A DECADE.
YOU SEE IT EVERY SECOND ON
SCREEN.
I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU PLAYED A
91-YEAR-OLD.
>> I HAD AMAZING MAKEUP ARTISTS
AND HAIRDRESSERS.
>> THIS ISN'T JUST A STORY ABOUT
THAT.
IT'S LIKE A FANTASY THING BREAKS
OUT.
YOU GET THIS OPPORTUNITY TO GO
BACK IN TIME, GET ALL YOUR
MEMORY BACK IN A LIMITED TIME,
AND THERE YOU'RE JUST TREASURE
HUNTING, IT'S RELIVING LOVE, ALL
THESE CRAZY THINGS HAPPEN THERE.
>> A LIFE WELL LIVED.
>> IT IS.