Pulp Fiction: The True Story Behind Samuel L. Jackson’s Audition

Samuel L. Jackson’s Pulp Fiction audition story tells the secret behind how the actor won his breakthrough role. Pulp Fiction was Quentin Tarantino’s follow-up to Reservoir Dogsand served as an outrageous crime saga filled with memorable characters. Perhaps the standout character of the movie was Jules Winnfield, the role that made Samuel L. Jackson a star and earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. However, the bizarre story of Jackson’s audition for Pulp Fiction proves that there was no stopping the actor in winning the role that launched his Hollywood career.

Although by the time Pulp Fictionwas in development Samuel L. Jackson wasn’t a newcomer, Jules Winnfield was the role that made him a widely-known name in the film industry. Jackson had starred in supporting roles in acclaimed movies, including Do the Right Thing, Goodfellas, and Jurassic Park. In fact, Jackson nearly worked with Tarantino before Pulp Fiction, coming close to joining the cast of Reservoir Dogs. Tarantino told Jackson he had a role for him in his next movie and sent him the script, but when he arrived for his audition, he was mistaken for another actor, which infuriated him enough to give an angry performance that ultimately landed him the role of Jules Winfield.

Samuel L. Jackson Was Mistaken For Laurence Fishburne When He Auditioned For Pulp Fiction

Speaking to Vulture, Jackson shared that he was greeted by the casting people as “Mr. Fishburne”, as they mistook him for Laurence Fishburne, who was previously offered the role of Jules Winnfield but turned it down. This didn’t sit well with Jackson, who was so angry it translated into his performance, which ultimately helped get him the role. Fishburne, on the other hand, recently revealed the reason why he turned down the offer of starring in Pulp Fiction, and it was all about a scene where Jules Winnfield wasn’t even involved: Mia’s overdose. The scene where Vincent had to give her an adrenaline shot straight to the heart after she overdosed on heroin was too much for him as he felt the movie was making drugs look attractive.

Not starring in Pulp Fiction wasn’t that big of a loss for Laurence Fishburne, who went on to appear in a number of projects from different genres, most notably the Matrixseries. In Samuel L. Jackson’s case, Jules Winnfield boosted his career and helped him become the big star he is today, taking part in other projects from Quentin Tarantino and many, many movies, including franchises like the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Star Wars.

The Pulp Fiction Casting Team Weren’t The Only Ones To Make This Mistake

The Samuel L. Jackson Pulp Fiction audition story is bad enough to happen in the 1990s. However, as much as diversity in Hollywood might have improved somewhat over time, nearly a decade later a similar incident proved there was a long way to go. While doing an on-air interview (via CNN), a reporter asked Jackson about his appearance in a Super Bowl commercial which Jackson quickly pointed out he was not a part of. The reporter seemed to be told by someone off-camera of his mistake and tried to bail on the subject, but Jackson quickly realized the reporter had mistaken him for Fishburne again.

Jackson seems to take these moments in stride, jokingly mocking the reporter by asking “you’re the entertainment reporter?” and the mix-up led to him being cast in Pulp Fiction. However, the fact that people who work in the industry could mistake Jackson and Fishburne, two men who look nothing alike, does point to the issues with diversity that plague the film industry. Actors like Jackson and Fishburne and many others before them helped break down barriers, but there is clearly still work to be done.