LOS ANGELES, March 10 (UPI) -- Samuel L. Jackson, a modern-day fairy tale, premiered Friday on Apple TV+ for his new TV series, The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey.
In Walter Mosley's adaptation of the book, 73-year-old Jackson plays Ptolemy Grey, a 91-year-old man with dementia who gives a chance to temporarily regain his memories.
"Walter created a drug and a man that comes with a cure," Jackson said on a recent Television Critics Association Zoom panel. "It's not a real thing."
Since there is no real-life cure for Alzheimer's disease, Jackson said that Ptolemy Gray provides wish fulfillment for those dealing with it. The imaginary treatment allows Gray to recollect his memories once again before he loses it again.
"It's based on reality, yes, which has lost itself over the years," Jackson said.
Co-creator Jackson said he had tried to set up an adaptation of Mosley's book for 10 years after growing up with his grandfather, uncle, aunt, mother and family members suffering from Alzheimer's.
“I watched them change, deteriorate and become different people over the years,” he said.
The Last Days of Ptolemy Gray is about Gray reclaiming his self-worth in a world that had abandoned him.
"You're still a worthwhile person, even though a lot of people leave you," Jackson said. "Like some people say, some trash is other people's treasure."
In the 10 years he was developing the series, Jackson said he opposed studios that wanted to make a standalone film. The Apple TV+ series runs for six hours of episodes.
“When we were trying to get a deal with other people to make it, they wanted to make it as an hour-and-a-half film, which was impossible,” Jackson said. "I was always banging my head against the wall because I never wanted to tell the story that way."
As a movie star, Jackson holds the record for the highest-paid actor at the box office. , Thanks to roles in the Star Wars and Marvel franchises, and Quentin Tarantino's films, Jackson's films have grossed high.
He also has nearly 200 film credits, including Do the Right Thing, Goodfellas, Jurassic Park, Shaft, Snake on a Plane and Unbreakable. Many of Jackson's roles have been in heavy plays such as Ptolemy Grey.
Do the Right Thing was Spike Lee's alleged racism drama. Jackson played a homeless man in The Caveman's Valentine and Resurrecting the Champ.
He played a veteran with PTSD in Home of the Brave and Bluesman, who holds a sex addict prisoner in Black Snake Mon. Like his other theatrical roles, Jackson said playing Ptolemy Grey didn't weigh on him after wrapping.
Jackson said that he always separates his work from his real-life feelings.
"I'm not a method actor," Jackson said. "I just turned on the emotional assets I'm able to access. Then when I land, I talk to my agent on the phone about things I need to do later."
But that could be related to simple memory loss issues.
"Every time I walk into a room, and I can't remember why I went there, or I can't remember an actor's name in this movie, all these things mean something to me," Jackson said. said. "It's an honest and, hopefully, endearing appraisal of life's downfalls that so many of us face."
Jackson said he hopes to continue working into his 90s. Although there is a history of Alzheimer's in his family, Jackson said he also has a history of longevity.
"I found a 94-year-old aunt in L.A. who takes credit for everything she does in my life," Jackson said. "She's the first person who inspired me to act or recite something."
He is also taking good care of himself to make sure he has many more productive years ahead.
"I discovered the value of sleep," Jackson said. "I used to sleep for like three hours a night. But sleep is so valuable, and now I cherish it."
Jackson said he reads to keep his mind active, and hires masseuses and acupuncturists.
Episode two of The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey premiered on Friday, with new episodes released weekly on Apple TV+.