Samuel L. Jackson has faced snakes on planes, Jedi mind tricks, and Marvel multiverses; but nothing quite compares to a moment in 1988 that couldâve taken him out for good. On the âMad Sad & Badâ podcast (via People), Jackson casually dropped the bombshell that he was once dragged by a moving New York City subway trainâand lived to tell the tale.
A Real-Life Horror Movie in the NYC Subway
Per Jacksonâs story, it started with what seemed like a small act of kindness: trying to help a woman who had dropped something in the train. But as he stepped out, one foot got caught in the closing door. The train started moving. And just like that, Jackson was being pulled down the platform, heading straight toward the tunnel.
“I said, âOh f—, Iâm gonna die,â” Jackson recalled. Time slowed down, and in that split second, the reality hit: this was not going to end well. “I could see the tunnel coming and I couldnât figure out anything that I could grab or hold on to and get close to the train so I wouldnât get killed in the tunnel,” he explained (People).
But plot twist, someone saved him.
Saved by a Stranger â and a Whole Lot of Luck
Just when it looked like the worst-case scenario was a done deal, a fellow commuter (on crutches, no less) pulled the emergency cord and stopped the train. If that man hadnât acted fast, Jackson probably wouldnât be here. There would be no Nick Fury. No Jules from “Pulp Fiction.” No “Iâm tired of these motherf—ing snakes on this motherf—ing plane.” Crazy!
The injuries were serious: torn ACL and meniscus, ten months on crutches, and over a year of rehab. And to be clear, the MTA didnât get off scot-free; Jackson sued the Transit Authority and won a $540,000 settlement (People). Still, what sticks out isnât the money or even the injury⦠itâs the stranger who stepped in.
Jacksonâs takeaway? That moment didnât just change his body, it changed his perspective. And honestly, it feels like one of those sliding-door moments (no pun intended) that helped shape who he is today. As terrifying as it was, thereâs something weirdly hopeful about it too. He survived. A random guy helped. And somehow, it all fed into the gravitas he brings to every role.
What We Learnedâ¦
Samuel L. Jacksonâs subway scare couldâve been a tragic headline, but instead, it became a story of resilience, humanity, and one heck of a close call. And like everything else he does, he tells it with a kind of effortless swagger. Only Sam Jackson could nearly die in the subway and still come out of it sounding like the hero of the story.
The post Samuel L. Jackson’s Near-Death Subway Story Is Wild appeared first on EntertainmentNow.