Samuel L. Jackson's Ptolemy Grey Performance Makes The Show Worth Watching
Warning! SPOILERS for The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey.
Samuel L. Jackson's leading role in The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey is undoubtedly one of the best onscreen performances by the actor to date. Jackson is one of the most recognizable veteran actors in the world. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Nick Fury in the MCU, Mace Windu in Star Wars, and for his several iconic characters in Quentin Tarantino films like Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown, and The Hateful Eight. Jackson's performance as Ptolemy Grey was certainly influenced by the actor's long list of credits. However, what fans might not know is that, for his performance as Ptolemy Grey, Samuel L. Jackson taps into his personal life.
In interviews for The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey, Jackson has revealed that he is familiar with dementia, as many of his family members have suffered from the disease. Apart from wanting to show the effects of dementia, Jackson also signed on for the role in hopes of highlighting the brilliant work of novelist Walter Mosley, who not only wrote the 2010 book of the same name on which the series was based, but also the screenplay for the series. Ptolemy Grey's struggle to reclaim his mind was inspired by Mosley's own mother, who also suffered from dementia.
The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey revolves around an experimental dementia drug that Ptolemy takes, and its effects present a great challenge for any actor. While Ptolemy Grey is just one person, his entire demeanor – the way he talks and moves – changes based on whether the drug is doing its job or not. In one scene, Samuel L. Jackson plays a kind but weak old man, and in the next, he transforms into a sharp and witty grandpa who remembers his whole life with utmost clarity. Jackson is entirely in his element in The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey. In fact, he has also revealed in interviews that he's wanted to play the character for the last 10 years, which explains why Jackson was also involved in designing Ptolemy's wardrobe, which signifies Ptolemy's changes in personality and how he chooses to approach certain obstacles.
The other actors in the cast of The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey are no slackers either. The show also stars Dominique Fishback, who does a great job of appearing alongside Samuel L. Jackson as Robyn, Ptolemy's tough but tender teenage caretaker. Damon Gupton is also in the cast as Ptolemy's "uncle" and father figure Coydog, who appears in Ptolemy's hallucinations and flashbacks. Samuel L. Jackson might be the one who ties the whole show together, but the rest of the cast also give similarly impressive performances as they breathe life into Walter Mosley's characters.
The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey is an ambitious and unique story that combines family drama with light science fiction and a detective story about Ptolemy's search for his nephew Reggie's killer. A lot of elements are at play, which is to be expected with Mosley's work. No other actor except Samuel L. Jackson could've risen to the challenge of starring in this series adaptation of Walter Mosley's The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey.
The Last Days of Prolemy Grey streams Fridays on Apple TV+.