While he is one of the most successful actors in the cinema, Samuel L. Jackson has finally decided to appear in a television mini-series. After becoming the actor with the greatest total box office gross of all time – over $27 billion worldwide – Mr. Jackson is now ready to conquer television.

Protagonist of the series The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey, available on Apple TV+, Samuel L. Jackson tackles the world of television for the first time by throwing himself into the role of an old man suffering from dementia. The show is a disturbing inner journey to the heart of the secrets of a man and of an America that is still fighting against its past.

About ten years ago, the actor read the book and commented that the character has always had something “very cinematic” about him. Even if he finds himself in a total haze, the man has the option of reconnecting to his sanity while he searches for his nephew’s murderer. For Samuel, this project was very personal because many members of his family have suffered from Alzheimer’s disease.

“When I wrote The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey, I never thought I would find myself on the phone with Samuel L. Jackson telling me that he recognized himself in the protagonist and wanted to adapt the novel. He’s not a gentleman to say no to,” said African American novelist Walter Mosley in a virtual press event last February.

For a decade, Bill Clinton’s favorite thriller writer and the Pulp Fiction star tried to turn this fragmented tale, conceived as an inner journey, into a movie before following Apple TV+’s advice to turn it into a miniseries of six episodes to preserve the density of the plot.

“I’m from a family where I felt like I was surrounded by Alzheimer’s. And I watched them change, deteriorate, and become different people over the years. Being able to tell their story has been a great opportunity,” said Samuel L. Jackson in the same virtual press event.

In real life, the 73-year-old actor is far from the character he plays in The Last Days of Ptolemy Gray and seems to have drunk from the fountain of youth.

“It all depends on the vitality of the individual and what their quality of life is,” says the actor. “I’ve discovered that being able to move, think, relate, and comprehend is something that’s very valuable and your quality of life is the most important asset that you have.”

Today, Samuel reveals that he stays mentally alert through reading and continues to take care of his body physically. “Reading, making sure that I keep my mind active, giving myself an opportunity to exercise my mental capacity the same way people will exercise their bodies. There are a lot of different things. And, fortunately, I made enough money to get people to massage me, and I discovered acupuncture – all these things that hopefully will keep me vital for at least another 20 years.”

That’s all we can wish him…