Posted on Apr 4, 2022
Samuel L. Jackson gets personal about dementia in 'The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey'
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https://www.npr.org/2022/04/03/ [login to see] /samuel-l-jackson-last-days-ptolemy-grey
The afflictions of aging and the beauty of community are at the center of Samuel L. Jackson's latest project, The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey.
The Apple TV Plus miniseries, adapted from Walter Mosley's novel of the same name, stars Jackson as a 91-year-old man suffering from dementia. His character takes an experimental drug that temporarily restores his memory to solve his nephew's murder.
The 73-year-old actor has appeared in more than 100 films and is known for his dramatic roles in movies such as Pulp Fiction, Jungle Fever, A Time to Kill, Snakes on a Plane and as Nick Fury in the Marvel Universe. He received an honorary Academy Award last month for his body of work.
But for Jackson, all of his acclaimed work was not about chasing a statue. He was doing work that was fun and resonated with an audience.
"When my agents would send me a script and they would go, 'This is the one right here,'" Jackson said, "I'd go, no I don't want to do that. Or this is one's going to be [an Oscar winner]. I'd say no it's not going to be, but I'm gonna have fun doing it."
The afflictions of aging and the beauty of community are at the center of Samuel L. Jackson's latest project, The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey.
The Apple TV Plus miniseries, adapted from Walter Mosley's novel of the same name, stars Jackson as a 91-year-old man suffering from dementia. His character takes an experimental drug that temporarily restores his memory to solve his nephew's murder.
The 73-year-old actor has appeared in more than 100 films and is known for his dramatic roles in movies such as Pulp Fiction, Jungle Fever, A Time to Kill, Snakes on a Plane and as Nick Fury in the Marvel Universe. He received an honorary Academy Award last month for his body of work.
But for Jackson, all of his acclaimed work was not about chasing a statue. He was doing work that was fun and resonated with an audience.
"When my agents would send me a script and they would go, 'This is the one right here,'" Jackson said, "I'd go, no I don't want to do that. Or this is one's going to be [an Oscar winner]. I'd say no it's not going to be, but I'm gonna have fun doing it."
Samuel L. Jackson gets personal about dementia in 'The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey'
Posted from npr.org
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Posted 2 y ago
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."The Gist: Ptolemy Grey (Samuel L. Jackson) records an apology for what he’s about to do that day, as he checks to see if the revolver he has is loaded. “That motherfucker’s got to pay for what he’s done.” Someone pounds on the door, and when he asks who it is, the response is, “You know damn well who it is.”
Flash back two months. The clean apartment we’ve just seen is filled with hoarder-level filth and clutter. Ptolemy, more disheveled than before with his hair growing wild and a massive beard, sits in a lawn chair among the piles and watches the morning news while classical music plays on his stereo. He still lives on his own but his mind has been slipping, to the point where he starts seeing people from his past as if they’re right there in front of him. He has a board with pictures of loved ones and names to remind him who they are."...
..."The Gist: Ptolemy Grey (Samuel L. Jackson) records an apology for what he’s about to do that day, as he checks to see if the revolver he has is loaded. “That motherfucker’s got to pay for what he’s done.” Someone pounds on the door, and when he asks who it is, the response is, “You know damn well who it is.”
Flash back two months. The clean apartment we’ve just seen is filled with hoarder-level filth and clutter. Ptolemy, more disheveled than before with his hair growing wild and a massive beard, sits in a lawn chair among the piles and watches the morning news while classical music plays on his stereo. He still lives on his own but his mind has been slipping, to the point where he starts seeing people from his past as if they’re right there in front of him. He has a board with pictures of loved ones and names to remind him who they are."...
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