Samuel L Jackson defends use of N-word in Quentin Tarantino films
Director's films feature more than 200 racial slurs
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Your support makes all the difference.Samuel L Jackson has defended Quentin Tarantinoâs use of racial slurs in his films.
The actor appears in a new documentary about the filmmaker, titled QT8: The First Eight, and touches on the debate over his use of the N-word in films including Django Unchained (2012) and The Hateful Eight (2017).
In comments highlighted by IndieWire, Jackson questioned why people take offence to the word being used in Tarantinoâs films, but donât argue the same point when itâs spoken by a white actor in a film thatâs considered more serious in tone.
âYou take 12 Years a Slave, which is supposedly made by an auteur,â Jackson said. âSteve McQueen is very different than Quentin... So itâs ok for Steve McQueen to use [the N-word] because heâs artistically attacking the system and the way people think and feel, but Quentin is just doing it to just strike the blackboard with his nails? Thatâs not true.
âThereâs no dishonesty in anything that [Quentin] writes or how people talk, feel, or speak [in his movies].â
Jamie Foxx, who has previously defended Tarantino from backlash, revealed that â alongside Jackson â he encouraged his Django Unchained co-star Leonardo DiCaprio to say the slur in character as racist plantation owner Calvin Candie.
âLeonardo Dicaprio had a problem saying the word n****r,â Foxx commented. âHe said, âItâs tough for me to say this.â I remember Samuel L Jackson going, âGet over it motherf***er. Itâs just another Tuesday motherf***er.â I said, âLeo, we are not friends. This is your property, these arenât humans. This is your property.â
âWhen Leo came in the next day, he didnât speak [to me].â
Recently, someone totted up the amount of swear words and racial slurs used in every one of Tarantinoâs films to date.
The directorâs most recent film, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, was released earlier this year.
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