LOS ANGELES — Over 100 films later, Samuel L. Jackson still just wants to have fun.
The 68-year-old’s latest exercise in cinematic amusement is playing the hitman to Ryan Reynolds’ bodyguard in the action comedy The Hitman’s Bodyguard. In the movie, the unlikely duo must make it to the International Court of Justice so the hitman can testify against a dictator (Gary Oldman) in order to get his wife (Salma Hayek) released from prison.
Before the duo get there, gun battles, car chases and fistfights mix with satire and slapstick as Jackson, Reynolds, and sometimes Hayek, run off at the mouth in a mostly comic way.
At a Beverly Hills hotel suite, Jackson offers his considered opinions:
On collaborating with Reynolds:
“I’ve watched enough of Ryan’s movies, and enjoyed what he does, to know that the dynamic between the two of us would be interesting,” Jackson says. “We would have a lot of fun doing it, which is the most important thing for me.”
On the other motivating factor:
“I asked, ‘Where are we going to film it?’,” says Jackson. “Then they said, Amsterdam, London, Sofia (Bulgaria), and I said, ‘Sounds great’.”
On improvising with Reynolds now and again:
“The conversations were structured very well,” the actor says. “Occasionally, we would think of something funnier, or something happened in the moment that made sense or there was something that we could elaborate on.”
On his character’s wife sub-plot:
“It has some great rom-com elements,” Jackson says. “Romance is everything for my assassin. He gave himself up to get her out of jail. He’s willing to do whatever it takes to get her free.”
On falling for Hayek:
“How hard could that be?” Jackson says. “It’s not like I hadn’t been in love with Salma for ten years before that. So when they say, ‘Love at first sight’. It’s like, ‘Yeah, boom.’ ”
On Hayek doing her own fight work in a bar battle:
“They had choreographed this whole thing, and Salma’s standing there and they introduce her to the stunt girl, and the stunt girl goes through it and shows her the fight,” Jackson says. “And Salma said, ‘I can do this.’ And that was the end of the stunt girl. Salma just did it.”
On portraying a convincing couple:
“Salma’s just such a great person, and she’s the one that makes the relationship believable,” Jackson says.
On using bodyguards in real life:
“I don’t have them in my life like some people do,” Jackson says. “Even when they give me security, I like for the security to be invisible. I don’t like people pushing other people away.”
On singing in one car sequence with Reynolds:
“I made up the blues song,” Jackson says. “So we didn’t have to pay for it.”
On keeping in shape as a lifestyle choice:
“I’ve done a lot of different things,” Jackson says. “Right now, I do Pilates three times a week and weight training, and physical therapy three times a week, so I’ve got a six-day regimen right now.”
On his Nick Fury appearing in the upcoming Captain Marvel:
“I’ve heard that but I haven’t signed anything yet,” he says.
On the possibility of Reynolds’ Deadpool teaming up with Jackson’s Fury in a superhero movie:
“Even though (Deadpool) is in the Marvel Universe, we still have yet to do whatever together in the Marvel Universe,” Jackson says. “Maybe one of these days.”
“I’m in the bastard Fox pig pen, though,” Reynolds says. “They don’t let us play in real Marvel.”
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