Jackson discusses portrayal of slave
His character in ‘Django Unchained’ is an opportunist, a truly bad guy.
LOS ANGELES — Samuel L. Jackson has incarnated some colorful, fast-talking characters in Quentin Tarantino movies over the years, such as his scripture-quoting hit man Jules Winnfield in “Pulp Fiction.” But Jackson takes on perhaps his most morally slippery Tarantino role yet in the violent dark comedy “Django Unchained.”
As house slave Stephen, Jackson plays a conniving opportunist to Leonardo DiCaprio’s unctuously evil plantation owner. Stephen self-servingly turns every situation and challenge to his advantage.
We chatted with Jackson about reinventing the slave character and Hollywood’s relationship to black culture.
Q. You’re playing a slave we haven’t much seen on screen — someone who’s kind of the bad guy. Was that hard for you?
A. I don’t think there’s any question Stephen is one of the most despised Negroes in cinematic history. ... But I also understand his position. He doesn’t want to upset the apple cart. On the planta- tion, he can function like a free man. But he goes 75 miles away and he’s just an ordinary slave.
Q. Perhaps because it takes on such a serious subject as slavery and contextualizes it in a fantasy and a comedy, what would you say to someone who says the movie disrespects slavery and its horrors?
A. Quentin has an affinity for writing horrible things and then making you laugh. I think it’s dangerous if this is where you get your information from. He’s making entertainment. Hopefully, it makes you go ask questions and you Google it. If you want to learn something from a movie, watch a documentary.
Q. Hollywood seems to be a little more willing to make stories about black history, but those films are still few and far between. Does that bother you?
A. They’re making entertainment. I can’t blame them for that. And it comes down to what people want to watch when they’re eating popcorn. I just saw this movie “Sex Traffic.” It’s a documentary about the sexslave trade across Europe. Awesome movie. But no one’s going to see it. Look at “The Hurt Locker.” Oscar winner. Did anyone go see it? No. You can’t blame Hollywood for wanting to make enter-