The unlikely Samuel L Jackson performance inspired by Gregory Peck: “No John Wayne, none of that”
Samuel L Jackson’s filmography is so extensive it could probably power an entire station just to keep it running. The veteran actor has appeared in an astonishing number of movies across all genres, budgets, and levels of critical acclaim. Considering that he didn’t start landing regular roles until he was in his 40s, his prolific output is even more remarkable.
Having such a packed schedule means pulling from many different sources of inspiration. He’ll often draw on his own life, like his rendition of a crack addict in Spike Lee’s Jungle Fever, which was based on his own experiences with substances. Sometimes, though, he’ll channel a real person, which is what he did in a very strange way when he made 2017’s Kong Skull Island.
The second instalment in the so-called ‘Monsterverse’, Kong: Skull Island, also stars Brie Larson and Tom Hiddleston as part of a group of soldiers and scientists who meet the gargantuan primate. Jackson portrays Preston Packard, a helicopter pilot who seeks revenge on the Kong following the death of his men. Jackson said that he based the character somewhat on Captain Ahab from the classic novel Moby Dick, saying, “That’s just the nature of how we operate— eye for an eye!”
When speaking with Film Ink, Jackson also revealed that Packard owed a debt to one of the stars of Hollywood’s Golden Age. “I’m Gregory Peck,” he said. “I didn’t have any of that Apocalypse Now crap. No John Wayne, none of that! Gregory Peck!” The Apocalypse Now comparisons are obvious, as the film is set during the Vietnam War and was partly filmed in the country. However, Jackson clearly wanted to avoid going down the obvious route.
Peck played Ahab in the 1956 film version of Moby Dick, which was directed by John Huston. Herman Melville’s revenge-obsessed seadog, who had his leg torn off by the famous white whale, had previously been played by silent star John Barrymore. Orson Welles portrayed the character in a 1955 play, which was filmed, but sadly, the footage has been lost. More modern interpretations include Patrick Stewart and William Hurt in two mini-series from 1998 and 2011, respectively, and Barry Bostwick in 2010 contemporary re-telling of the tale.
Although Jackson was clearly a fan, Peck’s rendition of Ahab was met with mixed opinions at the time of the film’s release. Perhaps the Skull Island actor inflated his opinion because he’s such a big fan of the man behind it, as he told Foster’s Daily Democrat. “I met Gregory Peck,” he said. “And felt, ‘That was awesome!’ He called me one day and left a message on my phone and I was like, ‘Oh, man! It’s Gregory Peck!’ I kept that on my message machine for about three years and would play it for people.” Whilst Peck and Jackson never worked together, the latter did appear in A Time to Kill, which was loosely based on To Kill a Mockingbird, the movie version of which famously starred Peck as Atticus Finch.
Most people wouldn’t immediately make the connection between King Kong and Moby Dick, but Jackson is such a pro that he’s used to finding new ways to rework classic performances. Even if the finished product is a bit wonky, his performance in Skull Island is highly enjoyable.
