Following the actor’s five-decade-long career, Samuel L. Jackson has cemented himself as one of the most recognizable names in the landscape of action blockbusters. From the MCU to starring in Quentin Tarantino’s best work, the actor has never failed to showcase his versatility and has always given his best shot at all the jobs that he has been appointed for over the years.
But among all of his roles, there was one project that the Marvel star was extremely passionate about, however, Jackson almost lost that role as his weight at the time was too low for the job.
Samuel L Jackson almost lost the role in The Legend of Tarzan due to his weight
Working in 2016’s The Legend of Tarzan was more than just a job for Samuel L Jackson, as playing the role of a real-life historical figure who he found captivating was a learning experience for the actor. However, the Pulp Fiction star almost lost the role of George Washington Williams in the film, as he was underweight for the role at the time. Considering that he previously lost 30 pounds for a previous movie role, he was asked to gain 20 pounds in order to secure the role of George Washington Williams in The Legend of Tarzan. Jackson recalled,
“[David] was very kind to me and nice and I got back to my hotel that night and my agent called and said, ‘they’re going to fire you if you don’t gain 20 pounds.’ It’s like, ‘what?’ She’s like, ‘they want you to be formidable.’ I said, ‘I thought being thin like this would make Alexander look bigger’. I went out that night and bought a three-stack burger and stopped being a vegan pretty much immediately.”
Although it was a hard task, he eventually secured the role, as Jackson was adamant about portraying the real-life unsung hero on the big screen. The actor also expressed that they wanted the film to be different than previous Tarzan stories by incorporating more real-world history, which would encourage people to learn more about the real-life historical figure.
Samuel L Jackson believed that this movie would encourage people to learn more about George Washington Williams
Playing the role of George Washington Williams was not only a learning experience for the actor but Samuel L Jackson believed that it will also be a learning experience for the fans as well. The Django Unchained star believed that this historical factor will give some heft to the story and encourage fans to learn about the real-life history of George Washington Williams. Jackson said,
“It actually gives some heft to the story. It will encourage people to take a harder look at what happened historically in that particular country and why it is the place it is now and the price of decimation of not just the tribes but the animal population.”
But despite his fascination with George Washington Williams and passion for the whole project, the movie as a whole wasn’t the biggest success. Despite doing decent at the box office, the film wasn’t held high among critics and was deemed mediocre by the masses.
The Legend of Tarzan is available to stream on Netflix.
Source: All Hip Hop
