Samuel L. Jackson, an iconic figure in the film industry, widely regarded as one of the most talented and versatile actors of his generation.
With a career spanning several decades, his contributions to cinema have been nothing short of monumental.
Known for his commanding presence, sharp wit, and unforgettable performances, Jackson left an indelible mark on countless films, from blockbusters like Pulp Fiction,
The Avengers, and Django Unchained to critically acclaimed dramas.
SAMUEL L JACKSON has recently spoken out about both his personal and family’s health.
In a 2022 project, where Jackson plays an elderly man who is living with dementia, the actor revealed what drew him to the Apple TV+ series in the first place, and his own fears about developing the progressive condition.
In a new interview, Jackson was joined by his wife of 41 years, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, who also co-produced the limited series
The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey. Playing a character with Alzheimer’s meant that the Oscar nominated actor reflected on his own personal experience with the illness, which approximately affects around 900,000 people in the UK.
Not only did the actor lose his mother to Alzheimer’s but also his aunt, uncle and grandfather.
“It’s such an insidious disease. It’s a horror to watch. And we watched his mother go through it,” LaTanya explained back in March.
Despite the heartbreak, Jackson used his family’s experience with the condition as motivation to tell the story of Ptolemy Grey. He added:
“I was creatively interested in telling the story of someone with Alzheimer’s that was able to make the choice to take a ‘fantasy’ drug that would give them their memories back, no matter the cost.
“It is a chance that people don’t have in real life and I thought it was a powerful vehicle to share Ptolemy’s story.
“It shows that in spite of their disease, these people still have value and meaning, and they are people that still deserve to be cared for.
As they [his family] passed on, I just became more determined to tell this story and get it out there.
And make sure people understand that the people they loved are still there, inside that person, so you can’t throw them away.
“You have to care for them and love them as if they’re still contributing to your life.
“It also shows that even though they can’t communicate well with the outside world, their minds are still active and they are in a different mental space.
Hopefully, people will see how important it is to still actively love and care for people with Alzheimer’s.”
As the Alzheimer’s Society explains, that the majority of dementia types cannot be inherited or passed down through family members.
However it is possible that in rarer types of the condition there may be a genetic link.
The most important factor for the most common type of dementia – Alzheimer’s disease – is age.
Because Alzheimer’s disease is so common in people in their late 70s and 80s, having a parent or grandparent with Alzheimer’s disease at this age does not change your risk compared to the rest of the population.
