“I Was Out of My Mind”: How Samuel L. Jackson’s Battle With Addiction Inspired His Breakthrough Performance

As the 1980s came to a close, the future superstar was spending his summers acting in Spike Lee joints—and his nights freebasing cocaine. An excerpt from Bad Motherfucker: The Life and Movies of Samuel L. Jackson, the Coolest Man in Hollywood, reveals how hitting rock bottom inspired him to change his life, and shaped his game-changing performance in Jungle Fever.