Bad Motherfucker: The Life and Movies of Samuel L. Jackson, the Coolest Man in Hollywood

by Gavin Edwards

Overview

A fascinating exploration and celebration of the life and work of the coolest man in Hollywood, Samuel L. Jackson—from his star-making turns in the films of Spike Lee and Quentin Tarantino to his ubiquitous roles in the Star Wars and Marvel franchises, not to mention the cult favorite Snakes on a Plane.

Samuel L. Jackson’s embodiment of cool isn’t just inspirational—it’s important. Bad Motherfucker lays out how his attitude intersects with his identity as a Black man, why being cool matters in the modern world, and how Jackson can guide us through the current cultural moment in which everyone is losing their cool. Edwards details Jackson’s fascinating personal history, from stuttering bookworm to gunrunning revolutionary to freebasing addict to A-list movie star.

Drawing on original reporting and interviews, the book explores not only the major events of Jackson’s life but also his obsessions: golf, kung fu movies, profanity. Bad Motherfucker
features a delectable filmography of Jackson’s movies—140 and counting!—and also includes new movie posters for many of Jackson’s greatest roles, reimagined by dozens of gifted artists and designers. The book provides a must-read road map through the vast territory of his on-screen career and more: a vivid portrait of Samuel L. Jackson’s essential self, as well as practical instructions, by example, for how to live and work and be.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780306924323
Publisher:	Grand Central Publishing
Publication date:	10/26/2021
Pages:	368
Sales rank:	1,051,939
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.50(d)

About the Author

Gavin Edwards is the New York Times bestselling author and editor of twelve books, including The Tao of Bill Murray: Real-Life Stories of Joy, Enlightenment, and Party Crashing and Kindness and Wonder: Why Mister Rogers Matters Now More Than Ever. He has also written for numerous publications including the New York Times, the Washington Post, Vogue, GQ, Details, and Rolling Stone. In the name of journalism, he has hiked the Great Wall of China, inhaled with Snoop Dogg, and participated in the world’s largest tomato fight. He lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, with his wife and two children.

Table of Contents

1 Half a Piece of Candy 11

2 Desk Lamp (with Bulb) 21

3 Little Cooked Onions 33

4 Bill Cosby's Sweaters 41

5 The Films of Samuel L. Jackson, 1977-1988 54

6 Emergency Cord 65

7 The Films of Samuel L. Jackson, 1989-1991 73

8 Brown Envelope 88

9 The Films of Samuel L. Jackson, 1992-1994 99

10 Two Lights and Some Batteries 119

11 The Films of Samuel L. Jackson, 1995-1998 130

12 Engraved Handle 150

13 The Films of Samuel L. Jackson, 1999-2001 158

14 Berry Popsicles 169

15 The Films of Samuel L. Jackson, 2002-2004 175

16 Rental Clubs 189

17 The Films of Samuel L. Jackson, 2005-2007 194

18 Eye Patch 209

19 The Films of Samuel L. Jackson, 2008-2011 218

20 Hot Poker 238

21 The Films of Samuel L. Jackson, 2012-2015 244

22 French Braid 264

23 The Films of Samuel L. Jackson, 2016-2018 270

24 Alligator Loafers 281

25 The Films of Samuel L. Jackson, 2019-2021 289

26 Greenhouse Roof 302

Acknowledgments 304

Look-at-Me Business 307

Sources 313

Index 341

Editorial Reviews

★ 08/09/2021

Former Rolling Stone contributing editor Edwards (The Tao of Bill Murray) uses his access to actor Samuel L. Jackson to deliver a rollicking, expletive-filled look at the life and career of “The King of Cool.” Famous for his performances in Jurassic Park, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Star Wars among his over 140 feature film appearances (“more than Bill Murray and Tom Hanks put together”)—Jackson’s path to becoming a movie star was anything but predictable. Born in Washington, D.C., in 1948 and raised by his single mother after his father abandoned the family, Jackson began acting out stories for himself as a child before pursuing acting as a serious career in college. His early stage successes led to his being noticed by filmmakers, and eventually his breakout role in 1994’s Pulp Fiction. Studded throughout are amusing mini-reviews of Jackson’s films—which include fun trivia such as the number of minutes that pass “until he shows up” on-screen and humorous quotes (“dying is a happening thing”) pulled from interviews with the legend himself. Edwards is especially adept in his handling of Jackson’s personal life, including his triumph over cocaine addiction and involvement in the civil rights movement. This highly entertaining consideration of the prolific actor is long overdue. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

Bad Motherfucker is as cool and smooth as Samuel L. Jackson himself. Gavin Edwards is an insightful biographer and pop culture analyst who knows how to unearth key details that shine a new light on the most beloved of subjects.”—Jennifer Keishin Armstrong, author of Seinfeldia: How a Show About Nothing Changed Everything

“Samuel L. Jackson has blessed more than 100 films with his intensity and target-seeking line delivery—so much swagger, Marvel remodeled a superhero in his likeness—and Gavin Edwards’ page-turning almanac, crammed with insights, is the map for mainlining those thrills, the shepherd to guide your righteous ass through the valley of darkness.”—Sean Howe, author of Marvel Comics: The Untold Story

“There is no harder working man in Hollywood than Samuel L. Jackson, and Gavin Edwards’ addictive book is a deep dive into every twist and turn of his epic life and career—from Pulp Fiction and Jurassic Park to Snakes on a Plane.”—Andy Greene, author of The Office: The Untold Story of the Greatest Sitcom of the 2000s

“I didn’t know half this stuff—especially the golf stories—and I worked with the bad motherfucker! Sam Jackson is a national treasure.”
 —Stel Pavlou, screenwriter of Formula 51 and host of Hunting Atlantis on Discovery

“A heady title that chronicles the life of a heady man….The beauty of Bad Motherf*cker is not just the content, but the actual setup and look of the book itself….The book reads smoothly, and there’s nothing like imagining the words said in Jackson’s pointed, ’70s funk speak….Edwards takes care to give credit where credit is due, which only speaks more highly of the subject of the book. Samuel L. Jackson is an enigmatic American dream and Bad Motherf*cker solidifies his title as the King of Cool.”—Black Girl Nerds

“[Edwards] titled his book Bad Motherfucker, and makes a persuasive case.”—Book and Film Globe

“A rollicking, expletive-filled look at the life and career of ‘The King of Cool’…. Edwards is especially adept in his handling of Jackson’s personal life, including his triumph over cocaine addiction and involvement in the civil rights movement. This highly entertaining consideration of the prolific actor is long overdue."
 —Publishers Weekly (starred)

“Edwards, who has also written unconventional biographies of Bill Murray and Tom Hanks, breaks up the biographical chapters with reviews of Jackson’s film roles. His witty appraisals rate the movie as well as its ‘SLJ Factor,’ which measures the quality of Jackson’s performance and the amount of his screen time.”—LitHub

“A revealing look at the unlikely career trajectory of Samuel L. Jackson…. ‘In a fair world, I’d probably have three or four Oscars,’ Jackson has said. This entertaining book proves the point.”—Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

2021-09-15
A revealing look at the unlikely career trajectory of Samuel L. Jackson, from the author of The Tao of Bill Murray.

Motherfucker. “That’s my perfect noun/pronoun/expletive/everything,” says Jackson, that ascended connoisseur of naughty words. By the account of pop-culture biographer Edwards, Jackson is also the epitome of cool, as exemplified by a key scene in Pulp Fiction, with the robbery at the diner: “Stay calm in an emergency. Apply your overarching philosophy to the smaller moments of your existence. Walk in the footsteps of your cool predecessors.” The long excursus on cool is the least interesting single passage of the book, since no one needs to be reminded of Jackson’s habitation of the term. What’s good about it is the author’s exploration of Jackson’s films, decade after decade—and, he reminds, Jackson has appeared in nearly a gross of feature films, “more than Bill Murray and Tom Hanks put together.” Ranking these films along axes such as how much of the pure Sam Jackson experience they yield, Edwards tracks the actor’s rise from “King of the Cameos” to full-tilt stardom, propelled along by the likes of Quentin Tarantino and Spike Lee. With all those films, it’s easy to forget ones in which Jackson played only tiny parts, such as Steve Buscemi’s 1996 outing Trees Lounge, but it’s a pleasure to see him muscle and sweet-talk his way into films that had no part for him at first. One good example is the Star Wars franchise, in which, to his pleasure, he was made a Jedi knight—and given a light saber with the initials B.M.F. engraved. (See the book’s title for the translation.) Edwards also recounts the films that Jackson didn’t make it to and a few interesting bits of associated trivia: He failed to join the cast of Roots because he “wasn’t African enough or not an exotic Negro,” and for more than two years, he was a stand-in for Bill Cosby on his eponymous show, which staggers the imagination.

“In a fair world, I’d probably have three or four Oscars,” Jackson has said. This entertaining book proves the point.

Kirkus Reviews