Samuel L. Jackson

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Samuel L. Jackson talks about Pat Summitt with Tele-buddy Terry Morrow, who is currently reporting from Tinsel Town. Read about his Hollywood adventures by visiting his blog. Watch »

"Afro Samurai," the character voiced by Samuel L. Jackson.

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BEVERLY HILLS - Armed with an arsenal of tough-guy roles in movies like "Snakes on a Plane" and "Pulp Fiction," Samuel L. Jackson's image didn't come naturally.

Growing up in Chattanooga, he played in the school band and read a lot. "I was an only-child kind of nerd," Jackson says with a laugh.

Far from that way now, his reputation for playing take-no-prisoners types is box-office gold. And now, through the magic of animation - specifically anime - Jackson is stepping into a most unlikely part.

He plays an afro-wearing warrior in the movie "Afro Samurai: Resurrection," airing on Spike TV. He is the voice of "Afro's" title character as well as his sidekick Ninja-Ninja.

He plays a warrior out to protect his family's honor and who is fighting dark forces wanting to take over his father's legacy.

"Afro" has been a successful videogame and transcends many genres, incorporating hip-hop music in its soundtrack and using a skinny African guy as the main hero of a Japanese adventure.

"Afro" was introduced outside the videogame as an online series first. Then it had a brief but popular run on Spike TV in 2007.

"Resurrection," a movie follow-up to the series, revives the character.

Jackson's interest in Samurais is more about their philosophies, not their brutality. He admits he can't wield a sword or do any of those fancy fighting moves so well-associated with Samurais.

The Bushido Code, somewhat connected to chivalry, piques his interest. When Jackson left East Tennessee for college in Atlanta, he learned more about himself and was drawn by curiosity into reading about the Japanese culture.

"There's this honorable code that these people live," he says. "It's interesting to hear about and read about people whom death is not an issue for."

Years ago, "Afro" creator Takashi Okazaki sent Jackson a short film of the series to see if the actor would be interested in the project. "It was striking what he had done," Jackson says. "Because I watch so much Japanese film and like the sword culture, I was immediately struck by it."

Even as he smiles, Jackson can look imposing. His arms are thick. He has white hair but still looks far younger than his 60 years. He sports bottle-top rim glasses and wears a beret.

A bit of that East Tennessee kid rises to the surface when he speaks of home. His childhood was filled with fantasy adventures of the outside world - though, back then, he hadn't even heard of a Samurai.

"I was the kid who had all the comic books, who read all the time," he says of his childhood. "I'd play with my friends for a while then, at some point, I wanted to be by myself."

"I didn't know there were such things as Samurais when I was a kid growing up in East Tennessee. I didn't know about them until I was in college. I used to go into these fantasy places that were a bit much for people."

Jackson says he'll always be tethered to East Tennessee. He has close friends and relatives in the area. Like a true Samurai, he says he doesn't want to forget where he came from.

"If I forget, I will start believing everything people say about me in Hollywood," he says. "I know where I came from.

"I know the values instilled in me from my family. The ethics instilled in me allow me to understand who I am today."