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SAMUELL. JACKSONISACTING. EYES BULGING, HEAD sex video. Finished,the actor bursts out laughing. furiously bobbing up and down, the highly lauded "Did you seethat tape?" he asks the lone out- (Oscar and Golden Globe nominated) actor is do- sider. "Manl They did it euerywhere! On the ing his bestirnpersonation of PamelaLee enioying boat, in the bed, on the highway. They should a not-so-private moment with hubby Tommy. have called tt the Where Am I Notu? tape." "Ew, ew, ewl-Wheream I now?" he cries,craning It's a sobriquetthat could just as easilybe ap- his neck to look behind him before letting his eyes plied to Jackson'sown life. Sincehis ferocious ro11back in mock ecstasy. performance as a crack addict in 1,991'sJungle In fact, Jackson is at a lunch table in the com- Feuer,the 49-year-old actor has become as ubiq- "l$hl missary of Raleigh Studios in Hollywood (where uitous a presence in American cinema as that llr he's currently shooting Tbe Negotiator), sur- short list of perennialA-listers - all of them white ,.9 i:i: .ilrr, rounded by guffawing day players who are also - who seem to dominate movie marqueescoast familiar with the tattooed couple'swidely pirated to coast. "I saw you on four channelsthis morn-

by DAVISFACTOR US NlARCH 1998 59 ing," says one awed supporting actol "Bet- board of tnstees hostagein order to get a black- and there he was. It was like, "Oh, s---!" I ter watch out. You're going to be the next studiesprogram instituted. Haue you aduised didn't stop doing the scene, but it was 'The Michael Caine." Nonplused, Jackson re- the d.irector of Negotiatol hou to tie up a rolling around in my head: You are acting plies, "I've worked with Michael Caine." hostageor anything? uith Dustin Hoffman! And then a month Forget the Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon; if fGrins] No. It never came up. later I'm doing the same thing with De Jackson keeps up his nonstop work pace Hou d.id you bar those trusteesfrom leauing Niro: Damn! You're doing a scenewith De (30 films in the past six years),he'll be con- the room? Niro? Yes!The other night, my wife said, 'We nected to everyone in just one step. This took some chains from the grounds, "You killed De Niro." And I was like, past year he went one-on-one with every- bought some padlocks from the hardware "Yeah, I did, didn't I? I did!" one from Robert De Niro (JachieBrownl store, and went into the building and You and your uife sturted out as actors at tbe 'em to Dustin Hoffman (this month's Sphere) to locked in. !7e had people hoisting sametime. Doesit euerbother her that your ca- Yoda (in the upcoming Sfar'Wars prequel). food and water up to us for two and a half reerhas eclipsedbers? Not bad for a poor kid from Tennessee days. There were people outside waiting For a long time shewas a lot more successful who was raised by a single mom and de- to rush the door. than I was, and I dealt with that. So it's oK. voted grandparents after his father deserted Must hauebeen exciting. Doesshe get mad that yow work too much out them. His background obviously gave him a Oh, totally, totallyl There are a couple of of toun? kind of stability that is rare among his peers. pictures of me in the Ebony Pictorial His- Vell, she doesn't stop shopping. [Laughs] He has been married for 27 years to actress tory of Black America on the steps,giving That's how shedeak uith it? LaTanya Richardson (Losing lsaiah) and is a speech. It's funny. It looks like a scene Looks that way to me. Occasionallg she'll the father of ts-year-old Zoe. Not that his from SpikeLee's School Daze - me and my say, "Your next film has to be at home," life has been without trauma. His dalliance big Afro, sitting in a fatigue jacket. and I'11find one, luckily. But she was gone with drugs, which began as a hobby in col- Tbree decadeslater Spike Lee is reaming you all summer, doing U.S.Marshals, with \Wesley lege,devolved into full-scaleaddiction. But for saying the word "niggef' too many times in Tommy Lee ffones] and [Snipes]. '80s, after going through rehab in the late lackie Brown.' You're an only child, and you haueone cbild, 'Was Jackson was back at work, building a stellar fEuenlyl I am not going to zol say the word that deliberate? reputation as the movie world's most valu- nigger because some white man wrote it It was pretty much a conscious decision in able supporting player (the films might not and everybody'sgoing to be upset because the beginning. !7e both had career goals, have gotten great reviervs,but Jackson al- it's in the script 150 times. That's the way and when my wife decided she wanted to ways did). Vith his portfayal of a Bible- people like Ordell Robbie talk, and it has have a kid, it was a hard job for a while. thumping hit man named JulesinPulp Fic- nothing to do with Quentin Tarantino's You know, I spent all my life learning how tion, he hit the mother lode, earning an view of society or anything else. He was not to get peoplepregnant. [Grrhs] So it took Oscar nomination and fans for life. writing specifically for a voice, and that's a while. And the first few yearsof Zoe'slife, Jackie Brotun co-star Pam Grier suspects what that voice is. Quentin's not a racist. one of us always had to not work so that she knows the secret ofJackson's success. I'm not a racist. I'm going to be true to that somebodycould be at home with her. "LaTanya has been so supportive," says character and say what that character says, You didn't leaueher uith a nanny? Grier. "You can usually tell when [some- no matter what anybody out there thinks. Couldn't afford it. Ve lived in New York, one] has a good soul mate. They just soar Does it disappoint you uthen Lee moutbs off in Harlem, for years. \7e only moved here in their work." Iike that? [to L.A.] four years ago. As Jackson certainly has lately, earning No, I expect that. I hear a lot of people say, She's grouing up differently from you - accoladesfor his turns as killer Ordell Rob- "It makes me uncomfortable to hear the priuileged. bie rn Jackie Brown (for which he received word." And I say, "'Well, you wouldbern- Oh, yeah. There's very little that she'sde- a Golden Globe nomination) and as a phi- comfortable if you were in a room with Or- nied if she achievesin school. It's like, next landering yet sympathetic father in last dell Robbie. becausethat's who he is! He's year she'll be 16, so whether shegets a good fall's independent gem Eue'sBayou. "Sam supposed to make you uncomfortable." car or just a car hinges on how well she is a man's manr" says Kasi Lemmons, the And there's no way that Spike's going to tell does in school. And there was only one writer and director of Eue's Bayou. "But me he doesn't hear the word nigger atleast phone line in my neighborhood, so when I'm a woman, and I think he's a very sexy once a day in Brooklyn. Zoe got her own phone line, I didn't know man, very dignified and slightly intimidat- DeNiro playedyour sidekickin tackie Broun.' if that was a good thing or not. ing. But he's not like a cocky movie star. A What's he like? Is sbedating yet? confident stage actor - that's what he re- lwas amazed at how quiet and what a gen- She talks on the phone to guys, and she and minds me of." tle soul he is. Me and Quentin can be pretty her friends - this little mall pack of hers - However, here on the set, the emotion loud and boisterous and guy-5 and even they go to movies and probably meet guys to Jackson is showing for the camerasis des- when [De Niro] was around us, he just kind hang out with: the hang-out guys. Eventually peration. InThe Negotiator, which co- of sat quietly. Every now and then he'd say we'll have that talk about the hang-out guys. starsKevin Spacey,Jackson plays a hostage something, and we would kind of fstops, Will you be ouerprotectiueuben she starts negotiator who, after. being accused of a looks up, startledf, "D|d Bob say some- dating? crime he didn't commit, takes hostages thing?! Bo&t talking? What was that?!" Sure. You got to know where they come himself in an attempt to avoid going to jail. He'd make us laugh. from, who their folks are. All these guys are Few people realize the authenticityJackson And you just utorked uith Dustin Hofftnan in freaked out by me anyway. 'What brings to the role. 'Spbere.'Prettyheady. Euer get itutimidated? do you mean? In 7969,uhenyouutere a stud.entatMorebouse Actuallg the first day I did a huge dramatic fGrins) They think I'm Jules lfrom Pulp College,you and someother actiaists took the scenewith Dustin, I looked acrosscamera Fictionl-

6O US MARCH I998 Yourfather abandonedyou. Haueyou And the rest of the day is patterned joint, tried to find hirn? on that. Smoke another drink No. He was not something that I some more beer, do your show, go thought about. The kids that I to a bar, drink some cognac, smoke knew that had fathers...I was al- some more reefer, snort some co- most kind of g/ad that I didn't have caine, have some fun. And it was one, becausethey were in hell with fun. You didn't look at it as addic- their dads and...you know, my tive behavior. grandfather was totally cool. He You'uesaid you could suruiuerehab was more or lessmy friend. We did only once.You don't understandhou things together.'We hung out.'We peoplekeep going back? laughedtogether.'We took the heat Yeah,I don't get that. lmean,I got in the house, becauseit was a it.I got it when I was there, and it house full of women. We had a didn't take a lot to make me get it. very good relationship. The first step the counselor had me Do you think you understanduotnen do was admit that I had a problem better becauseyou uere raised by and deal with that, and then he uomen and you're surounded. by asked me, "'!(hen's the Iast time them nou? you did something for yourself ?" Oh, yeah, totally. It might be part I was a people pleaser for a very of the factor that my whole cre- long time and didn't realize that ativeteam is basicallywomen, in- was part of my addictive nature, terestingly enough. My managers that when we went out, people are women; my agent is a woman; would look at me and go, "What my lawyer and publicist are women. are we going to do?'Where are we The only guy in my life in that way going to go?" rs my accountant. You uere the guy utho had. to prouide Are you angry uitb your father? euerybodyuitb somethingto do? No. Heck, no.lLaughsl Yeah, I was that guy. And if somebody Somany peopleuho hauebeen abandoned by a IITHEM|IST could smoke a ioint, I could smoke four. If parent say they feel incomplete,thougb. somebody could do one line, I could do I don't think I'm incomplete in any way be- I]ITERESTI]IGTHI]IG eight. I was the guy. causeof that. I had father figures,guys who Hou did your marriage stay togetber then? cared about me and taught me how to be a I have no idea. I have no rdea, becauseit man in certain kinds of ways. And my mom IMYTilFEIwasn't something I was doing to make it kind of forced me to be a guy in a certain stay together. way, too. Shesent me out of the house;she EVERTOTII ME WAS What uould you say to young actors in Holly- made me go to Little League baseball.She al- uood uho are bauingdrug Probletns? ways made sure I was doing guy stuff. And I don't know. See,I have a whole thing about shebpretty solid, too. She'sa tough girl. I AGTUAT]Ythat. Folks are always saying fearnestlyf, Hou doesshe deal uitb the fact that you're a "Go and talk to some kids and tell them star? how you kicked it." But I don't feel com- It's cool for her. She'skinda large at home fortable doing that, becausefor 23 yearsor right now. She can go to the movies for GREWUP so I was a successfuldrug user in my mind. nothin'. TOBE THE tIIAlI TIIAT $HE So to tell kids, "Don't do that; it will ruin Haueyoutalked aboutyour dnrgproblemsutitlt your life" - well, it might not, you know? your daughter? ATTTAV$THOUGHT Are you in a 12-stepplogram nou? No, I haven't had to, actually. When I was Um, not really. But when I first got out of in rehab, she remembers coming. We had rehab I spent an inordinate amount of time BE.ltt people that I G0Uul in meetings.I was one of those family sessions,so she and my wife came there to do family counseling. At a certain It's hard to imagine you, sitting here nou, as took those slogansto heart, like, "Meeting point we have to sit down and talk to her someoneubo bad a seriouscrack habit. Do you makers make it." about the addictive nature of her gene pool. haueany i.deahoru that haPPened? Werethey NarcoticsAnonymous or Alcoholics 'When Alcoholism, drug addiction - all of those Sure. I was a teen-ager,teen-agers Anonymous tneeti.ngs? '50s, things are hereditary in certain kinds of drank. Then in the drugs were there, Both, eventhough AA kind of bummed me ways. At some point I'll have to tell her, and we started to use drugs. You don't rec- out, becausenobody's happy in AA. Every- "You are old enough to drink, and if you're ognize it as addictive behavior or excessbe- body's pissed off becausethey can't drink. going to drink, you have to learn to drink cause there are no excesseswhen you're Especially in New York City. Like, walking m responsibly and know that you have a pro- young. It's just a good time. And that's how down the street, people sitting at sidewalk o clivity to become an alcoholic. So if you it keepsgoing, until it becomespart of your tables clinking glasses;and you turn on the '!7ake ever start drinking, and you don't remem- patterned existence.You know? up TV, everybody's drinking. lPantomiming a = ber what you did, you're in trouble." in the morning, drink a beer,smoke a joint. /oasr] "Hey. we're having a great time

us rvrARcH1998 6l drinking this Miller Lite!" "Yeah, for a ter with lime, look like I got a drink, and if good time, drink a Bud!" And you're sitting you didn't know what I was drinking, there going langrily), "I can't have a good $THEO]IEyou'd probably think I was drinking vodka time if I have a Bud!" And you come to or gin or whatever. Ilm hanging out, I'm meetings like, "Arrrrggghhb, I Luant a THI]IGTHAT BOTHEREII laughing, I'm having a great time. That was drink!" Everybody's pissed off. So I spent a the one thing that bothered me more ihan lot of time in NA, where there were a lot of MEMORETHA]I anything elseabout getting clean: Will I still grateful people, becausedrug users know be fun? Will I be able to have a good time? how close they were to death. A]IYTHI]IGELSE ABOUT And I found out that I could. Didyou euershoot drugs? Must hauebeen An enorwous rekef foryour uife [Nods] In college. That was a time when we to seeyou finally comethrough. actually thought that the government took LaTanya is just very strong, upright; and all the mariiuana off the streets.There was GETTIlIGshe's a woman that visualizes things. She no marijuana. There was very little acid. has very positive dreams about places she The only thing that you could get, and get wants to go and how things should be in quantity, was heroin, and that's what we sometimes.And I sometimesthink that's a got. So we snorted it for a while, and all of kind of fantasy world [she's] in; but you a sudden it was like, well, we might as well GLEAil:knoq she makes things happen. fPauses, take the steps;so we took them. WItt I STITTBE FU]IP then quietlyl The most interesting thing she Hont did yoa keepfrom becominga junkie? Wltt I BE AB[E T0 IIAVE A evertold me was I actuallygrew up to be I was a weekend tippler. I didnt want to do it on a regular basis.I understood the dangers. But a lot ofpeople thought tbey did. G00DTIMEfl r*:'.:ffi ;.,=,,:,;;,..,.*," Yeah, I had some friends who succumbed. When I finally was able to deal with my There were guys in college, bright guys, fiIII I TOU]IDOUT THAT wife and daughter along with myself. Be- who thought that they were smarter than causethe first year,I spent a lot of time be- the drug. I never thought that, except cook- ing totally self-absorbed,making meetings ing cocaine. lc0utD.l,and trying to make sure that they didn't That was tbe uorst it got: fregbasing? piss me off in a certain way so I would want Yeah. fSmiles]And I used to OD a lot, too. You don't drink? to use.Because that's an excuseyou can al- And you say tbat uitb a smile on your face? No. Don't miss that either. ways have [feigning anger): " Grrrrr, they lfell, I did. It's one of those things. It's interesting that you recognizethe angerat tbe make me want to use." So I was just busy Wben you'd OD, uould som.eonejab a needlein AA meetingsyet don't seen angty like the others. taking care of me for that first year. Then your heart like in'Pulp Fiction'? Yeah, it used to crack me up. I'd just sit all of a suddenI was able to integratemy No. Heck, no. They get you up, they walk there and listen to guys bitching about not cleanlinessand my mind-set with my family you around, they fill a tub up with cold being able to have a drink, and it was like, and start to deal with it. water and throw your assin. I used to OD "F--- it. F{ave a drink. You know? Go on Consideing all the htists and turns of your life a lot on heroin. out and have one. Stop griping! If you're -your childhood, college,kicking drug addic- Did you euer haue a trippy, near-death that miserable, how miserable were you tion, becominga famous actor - do you feel like experience? when you were drinking? Are you as mis- you bauea responsibility to be a role mod.elto I had those out-of-body things where I ac- erable now as when you were drinking? If youngblackmen? tually saw people saving my life. It's like I'm you're not, have a drink! Get over it!" I feel a responsibility to try to do the best floating above the room, and I look down Tbat's not a uery politically correct thing to say. uork thatl can possibly do in whatever job and there I am, and there's some guy It's just what it is for me, you know? "Stop I get. I'm a responsible human being off- pounding me in my chest, and somebody bitching about it and have a drink if that's screen.I am who I am. I drive carpool for else is trying to hold me up, walk me what you really want to do." my daughter. I spend time with her. I donate around, and I'm just watching all this s---. Haue you euerstood up at one of tbosemeetings money to charitable causes.I play golf. I lLaughsl It's a f---ed-up feeling. and said that? make up beds.I carry out the garbage.I'm And still you'd keepusing? Yeah, and I got vilified for it, [but] that's iust a guy. That's the stuff people can emu- I only had to do that, like, three times. My who I am. late if they've got to emulate something. third OD was the end of my run with Did you haueto drop a lot of friends onceyou The things I do onscreen have nothing to heroin. I didn't want to die doing drugs, cleanedup? do with who I am. But the way thatl do my and I saw that. I was smart enough to rec- No. I mean, a couple of guys who I used to job speaksvolumes, becauseI dedicatemy- ognize that and stop. do my heavy drinking and drugging with fi- self completely to the characters I play. I 'Was your utife autare of your histoty uhen she nally came into the [programs]. Like I said, show up on time every day. I do my job. I metyou? you lead by example. They watched me, try and make my job as easyfor everybody Not really. By the time she met me I was they saw how my life changed, and they around me as I can. And that's my respon- just, you know - what was I doing then? were still doing the things they were doing. sibility: to be the bestactor and the best hu- I was probably just doing acid. I used to I was still hanging out with them. I mean, I man being that I can be. r loue tripping. was working with them at the theater. I had Do you miss tbat? no choice. Plus I like bars. I hang out in Tom O'Neill interuietuedAnthony Hopkins 'uS.' No. bars. I can go in a bar and get a tonic wa- for the Februaryissue of

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