Snakes on a Plane (2006)

There was only one actor with enough guts to take on a plane full of snakes – Samuel L. Jackson. We thought we’d ask him a few questions about what it was like to get up close and personal with more than his share of slithery creatures.

We know you play an FBI agent, but what’s your real role in this film?

I’m the hero, come on, you know that. I do what heroes do. I act brave, kill snakes, and save the day.

We hear this isn’t the first time you’ve battled snakes?

You know, when I was a kid, snakes didn’t bother me that much because I just spent my summers in the country and if we saw a snake, the snake was in a lot more trouble than we were. Because we chased it and killed it.

Was it a different experience shooting this movie, or was it just another job?

Coming to work was kind of like going to a big amusement part and getting on a thrill ride. I mean, we’re on this set and the hydraulics are working the plane and we’re kind of stumbling around. You’re doing stuff and then there’s a snake over here that pops out and you have to react to the snake in the midst of all this smoke and stuff.

What was it like the first time you saw the snakes on set?

The first day I showed up I went to see the snakes and see how the crew was dealing with them. They were doing the test of when the oxygen masks falls down and they were dumping a big bucket of snakes on a guy’s head. It was fun to watch the snakes hit him and then go into his pockets and down his shirt.

What was your favorite scene to shoot?

I guess the initial encounter when everything starts to go crazy and the snakes first show up because my partner goes crazy and runs downstairs. But I stay and hear all the screaming, then I go down there and there’s snakes everywhere.

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