An exclusive throwback from Leo Quinones’ iFilm interview during the release of Black Snake Moan. When Samuel L. Jackson sits down for an interview, you know you’re not getting canned answers. You’re getting the truth, delivered with that unmistakable SLJ cool.
During the press run for Black Snake Moan, Leo caught up with Sam for a conversation that jumped from movie criticism to blues culture to the chaos (and comedy) of live theatre. It’s classic Sam: sharp, honest, funny, and 100% authentic.
Sam Jackson on Movie Critics: “No One Likes Every Kind of Movie”
Leo kicked things off with a spicy question: what does Samuel L. Jackson think about movie critics? Sam’s take was surprisingly thoughtful, and very on-brand. According to Sam, critics are just people with opinions… but not necessarily opinions that apply to every movie.
“I don’t think every movie critic understands every kind of film because basically none of us like all kinds of movies.”
His solution? Specialists. Sam believes horror films should be reviewed by horror fans, rom-coms by rom-com lovers, and action movies by folks who get action movies. Because why should someone who hates slasher films be the authority on whether a slasher film is good?
Hard to argue with the man.
Inside the Blues: A Whirlwind Tour Through the Deep South
For Black Snake Moan, Sam didn’t just play a bluesman. He studied the world these musicians come from. Leo asked about the “indoctrination,” but Sam quickly corrected him with a smile. It wasn’t indoctrination. It was immersion.
Sam described driving through the Deep South, visiting juke joints and meeting local legends: artists who were famous within a 30–40 mile radius, each with their own community of loyal fans.
“You go see the most popular guy in this radius… then drive 150 miles and there’s another guy who’s popular right down there.”
Each musician was open, real, and grounded in the music, the culture, and their own relationship with fame. Those experiences helped Sam bring authenticity to his role.
20 Years of Theatre: Wrong Costumes and Sleepers in the Front Row
Most moviegoers know Sam Jackson from his cinematic universe of roles, but before the films came two decades of live theatre. So Leo asked the natural follow-up: how does performing for a live crowd compare to shooting for 16 hours on a film set?
Sam hardly blinked.
“It doesn’t bother me. I did this strange thing called theatre for about 20 years.”
And in those 20 years? Oh, the stories:
- Audience fights breaking out mid-scene.
- Actors entering in the wrong costume.
- Someone in the front row asleep with their feet propped up on the stage.
Sam’s solution? A little foot-kick wake-up call. Or a “pretend trip” with a glass of water. Live theatre, baby.
He also shared one unforgettable moment from A Soldier’s Play: a cast member, late, panicked, and only half in costume, burst onto the stage in his skivvies with a long trail of toilet paper stuck to his pants. Even the pros couldn’t hold it together. The entire cast broke character and cracked up on stage.
Sam Jackson Always Shows Up
Leo asked if Sam himself ever had an “oops” moment onstage: missed cues, wrong costumes, forgotten lines.
“No. I was always there.”
Classic Sam.
Final Take
Interviews like this are exactly why Film Freak Tours exists. Hollywood isn’t just a place. It’s a hundred years of unforgettable moments, behind-the-scenes stories, and the artists who make movie magic happen.
