Samuel Jackson, 'N' Word Use Suggested During Interview For 'Django Unchained'
Samuel L. Jackson, star of the recently released film "Django Unchained," made an odd request during a recent televised interview.
Jackson, 64, sat down with a film critic from a Houston-based FOX TV affiliate show and when he was asked about the use of the "N" word in the film, the actor asked Jake Hamilton, a white man, to say it.
"Have you ever said it?" Jackson asked then laughed. "Try it! We're not going to have this conversation unless you try it."
Hamilton declined then asked Jackson to say it. The actor replied, "F--- no, it's not the same thing."
In the Quentin Tarantino-directed film, Jackson plays a house slave who is loyal to a plantation owner, played by Leonardo DiCaprio. The movie has been denounced by critics because it features whippings and use of the "n" word over 110 times, according to reports.
Filmmaker Spike Lee said he does not support the film and will not see "Django Unchained."
The movie, which was released in theaters on Christmas Day, has sparked criticism from many, including Lee, because of its graphic depiction of slavery in addition to overuse of the controversial language. Lee said he will not see the movie because he feels it's "disrespectful."
"I can't speak on it 'cause I'm not gonna see it," Lee told Vibe Magazine. "All I'm going to say is that it's disrespectful to my ancestors. That's just me... I'm not speaking on behalf of anybody else."
Later, Lee posted a message on his Twitter account to further explain his stance.
"American Slavery Was Not A Sergio Leone Spaghetti Western. It Was A Holocaust. My Ancestors Are Slaves. Stolen From Africa. I Will Honor Them," Lee tweeted.
Tarantino spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about the criticism. He said "not one word of social criticism" directed toward him has ever changed a single word or a single story he has worked on.
"I believe in what I'm doing wholeheartedly and passionately. It's my job to ignore that," he said.
Watch Jackson challenge the film critic in the video below at the 13: 55 mark
