>>> YOU KNOW WHAT THEY CALL A
QUARTER POUND OF CHEESE IN
PARIS?
>> THEY DON'T CALL IT A QUARTER
POUND OF CHEESE?
>> WHAT DO THEY CALL IT?
>> THE ROYAL WITH CHEESE.
>> THAT'S SAMUEL L. JACKSON
PLAYING WINFIELD ALONGSIDE JOHN
TRAVOLTA IN "PULP FICTION."
THE PERFORMANCE THAT EARNED
JACKSON AN ACADEMY AWARD
NOMINATION.
THAT BREAK-THROUGH ROLL CAME FOR
JACKSON AT THE AGE OF 45, AFTER
HE LIVED A LOT OF LIVES
PROFESSIONALLY.
ABOUT $15 BILLION ALL TOGETHER.
SAM AND I GOT TOGETHER THIS WEEK
FOR A SUNDAY SIT-DOWN AND HE
ADDS TO THE TOTAL OF A NEW
CHAPTER TO THE STORY "SHAFT."
>> ALL RIGHT, EVERYBODY, TAKE
SOME MONEY OUT.
>> I AM NOT A TEACHER.
I AM THE NEW BASKETBALL COACH.
>> I HAVE HAD IT WITH THESE
[ BL
[ BLEEP ].
>> SAMUEL L. JACKSON HAS A WAY
TO GET YOUR ATTENTION.
>> I WILL STRIKE DOWN UPON THESE
WITH GREAT VENGEANCE.
>> OVER A PROLIFIC MOVIE CAREER
SPANNING SMALL BUDGET CLASSICS
AND BLOCKBUSTER FRANCHISE, HE
MADE HIMSELF ONE OF THE MOST
FAMILIAR AND BANKABLE STAR S IN
THE WORLD.
>> YOU HAVE THE TITLE AS WHOSE
MOVIES MADE MORE THAN ANYONE IN
THE WORLD.
$15 BILLION WORLDWIDE.
DOES IT MEAN ANYTHING TO YOU?
>> I DID A LOT OF MOVIES PEOPLE
LIKED.
"JURASSIC PARK" -- HEY, I SAID
IT AND PEOPLE SAY IT.
IT IS ON THE T-SHIRT, I OWN IT.
>> BEING PART OF THE MARVEL
UNIVERSE, IT IS HARD TO BEAT
THAT.
BEING FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO BE IN
A FRANCHISE THAT HAVE THOSE
CHARACTERS IN IT.
ALLOWING ME TO WATCH MYSELF DO
THINGS I THOUGHT MYSELF WOULD
WHEN I WAS A KID.
>> JACKSON WAS RAISED BY HIS
GRANDPARENTS.
>> MY AUNT WAS MAKING ME DO
STUFF.
I LEARNED EARLY ON THE
APPRECIATION FOR -- AND OH MY
GOD, YOU ARE SO CUTE.
THAT WAS PROBABLY WHERE THE SEED
WAS PLANTED.
>> FROM THE SEGREGATED SOUTH TO
THE HEIGHTS OF HOLLYWOOD WOULD
BELONG.
>> THE 1950s AND 1960s AND ALL
THAT COMES WITH THAT.
>> YES.
SEGREGATION AND WHERE YOU CAN'T
GO AND CAN GO.
IT NEVER OCCURRED TO ME THAT I
AM GOING TO LIVE AND DIE IN
TENNESSEE.
>> YOU WERE GOING TO GET OUT.
>> I WAS GOING TO GET ON A SHIP.
SWINGING FROM SHIP TO SHIP.
>> YOU CAME CLOSE TO IT.
>> I AM GOOD.
>> YOU GOT YOUR VERSION OF THAT.
IN 1972.
JACKSON GRADUATED FROM MORAL
HOUSE COLLEGE WHERE HE FOUND A
THEATER TRUTH.
HE MOVED TO NEW YORK AND FELL
INTO A GROUP OF YOUNG ACTORS
WITH BRIGHT FUTURES AHEAD OF
THEM.
>> WHAT WERE THOSE EARLY YEARS
OF STRUGGLING ACTOR LIKE WHEN
YOU WERE RUNNING AROUND TOWN
WITH YOUNG GUYS TRYING TO MAKE
IT?
>> IT WAS DELIGHTFUL.
ARTISTIC COMMUNITY WAS
NURTURING.
>> ANOTHER MEMBER OF THAT
COMMUNITY WAS A BUDDY DIRECTOR
NAMED SPIKE LEE WHO ASKED
JACKSON TO APPEAR IN HIS GROUND
BREAKING FILM "DO THE RIGHT
THING" AND "JUNGLE FEVER."
THE LADDER ROLE HITS HOME FOR
JACKSON.
>> WHEN HE CALLED ME FOR "JUNGLE
FEVER," I WAS IN REHAB.
HE WAS LIKE I WANT YOU TO PLAY
LIKE THE MARVIN GAYE CHARACTER.
I HAVE DONE THE RESEARCH, I AM
READY.
>> THE DRUG COUNSELOR TOLD ME I
SHOULD NOT DO ANY MOVIES.
>> IT WAS A MOVIE THAT RELEASED
SIX MONTHS APART THAT CHANGED
EVERYTHING FOR JACKSON.
SMOO
WHAT COUNTRY ARE YOU FROM?
>> WHEN "PULPFICTION" CAME OUT,
HOW DID YOUR LIFE CHANGE?
>> IT EARNED HIM A NOMINATION
AND "DIE HARD" MADE HIM A BOX
OFFICE STAR.
>> CALL 911.
SOMEBODY IS ABOUT TO GET KILLED.
>> WE ARE SHOOTING "DIE HARD"
WHEN "PULPFICTION" STARTED.
>> THIS MOVIE IS GOING TO CHANGE
YOUR LIFE.
>> HE WAS RIGHT.
>> WHEN "DIE HARD" CAME OUT, IT
WAS A MOVIE WORLDWIDE AND IT
TURNED ME INTO AN INTERNATIONAL
FIGURE.
HE'S STRUTTING BACK TO THEATERS
AS SHAFT.
>> IT IS A ROLE HE PLAYED BEFORE
INSPIRED BY THE ORIGINAL SHAFT
OF THE 1970s.
>> I THINK THERE IS A NEW
GENERATION THAT'S ABOUT TO SEE
"SHAFT" FOR THE FIRST TIME.
>> THAT'S TRUE.
>> YOU HAVE NOT CHANGED THAT
MUCH THROUGH THE YEAR.
>> YOU SAY HE, I MADE IT
SPECIFICALLY SURE WHERE THEY
BROUGHT ME IN THAT RICHARD WAS
THERE AND EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT,
THAT SHAFT IS STILL HERE.
HE'SES THE ORIGINAL MAKE MAKE
EVERY THAT HIS SPIRIT LIVES ON.
I WAS ABLE TO BE ANGRIER AND
AGGRESSIVE "SHAFT."
>> STILL OKAY, MAN.
>> STILL DRAWING PICTURES ON THE
WALL.
>> WHEN JACKSON SLIPS OFF
SHAFT'S TRENCH COAT AND
RETURNING TO REAL LIFE, HE'S A
FAMILY MAN.
MARRIED FOR 37 YEARS.
THE COUPLE HAS A GROWN DAUGHTER
NAMED SEZOEY.
>> OBVIOUSLY HAVING A GREAT WIFE
HELPS.
>> NOT JUST IN HOLLYWOOD.
>> PEOPLE VIEWING MARRIAGES AS
DIFFERENT FOR HOLLYWOOD.
>> WHY?
MARRIAGES CHANGE THE DYNAMIC OF
HOW WE PERCEIVE OURSELVES
BECAUSE WE HAVE TO START
THINKING OF SOMEONE ELSE
ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU HAVE KIDS
ALSO.
BOTH OF US ARE PRODUCTS OF
BROKEN HOME.
WE UNDERSTAND WHAT IT MEANS OR
THE VALUE IN OUR HEADS OF HAVING
TWO PEOPLE THERE THAT HAVE A
UNIFIED FRONT OF SORT.
>> IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE ARE SOME
ELEMENT FOR YOU TO CREATE
SOMETHING FOR YOUR DAUGHTER THAT
YOU DID NOT HAVE GROWING UP WITH
YOUR MOM, WRITING THE WRONG OF
THE PAST IN SOME WAY.
>> I CAN'T WRITE THE WRONG OF
THE PAST BUT DOING IT BETTER.
>> YEAH, WRITING MY OWN STORY.
>> "SHAFT" IS IN THEATERS NOW.
OUR BIG THANKS TO TRIBECCA FOR
>> CHECK OUT OUR WEB EXTRA.
DON'T FORGET TO HEAR THE THE DI
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