Samuel L. Jackson explains how he gets into character
It would be hard to argue that Samuel L. Jackson is not one of the most iconic actors of all time. Particularly noted for his roles in several Quentin Tarantino films, Jackson provides a unique intensity that creates an undisputed believability in his characters, who leave a deep-rooted impression on audiences. Simply put, Jackson is a master at his craft.
Howard Stern once asked Jackson if he stays in character off-set in the manner of Daniel Day-Lewis, and immediately, Jackson looked confused and said outright: “no”. Lewis’s method of acting is what leads to his unique and brilliant performances, but it seems as though Jackson rarely, if ever, employs the sometimes controversial technique.
Jackson said of his preparation for a role: “I’ve done all that at home; I know what I’m gonna do when I get to work. It’s easy, you know, you don’t shoot more than two and a half pages a day. Piece of cake. You don’t have to learn anything from beginning to end, even though I know all the lines. I know everybody’s lines. When I go to work, I have fun.”
Stern then notes the fact that Tarantino’s scripts tend to be dense and full of information and dialogue, which is likely what draws Jackson to them in the first place. Jackson said, “Well, you explain yourself to the audience; you’re a completely formed character. That makes it fun.”
Noting how he gets himself in character, Jackson added: “I sit at home; I read it maybe four or five times, then I go back into it and create a biography for myself from info that’s in the script and things that I’m able to make up about the character because of his relationships with people or what he says about himself.”
So Jackson has at least some creative control in devising his own characters, although it is ultimately based on what is actually present in the script. It’s a fascinating insight into his creative process and reveals a tremendous amount about the trust that Tarantino has in his actors, even though he sometimes comes across as a control freak.
“You have a lot of stuff to bring with you [on set],” Jackson explained. “Where he’s coming from, what he was doing before he got to this situation. Where is he going when he leaves this situation? What kind of food might he want to eat while he’s there?” All these things help to form Jackson’s several excellent portrayals fully.
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