Jamie Foxx Says Leonardo DiCaprio Had 'Hard Time’ Saying Racial Slurs inDjango Unchainedbut Samuel L. Jackson Aided Him

Mar. 15, 2025

Jamie Foxx, Leonardo DiCaprio and Samuel L. Jackson starred in ‘Django Unchained’.Photo:Mike Marsland/WireImage; Rocco Spaziani/Archivio Spaziani/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty; Mike Marsland/WireImage

Mike Marsland/WireImage; Rocco Spaziani/Archivio Spaziani/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty; Mike Marsland/WireImage

Jamie FoxxandSamuel L. Jacksonstepped in to giveLeonardo DiCapriosome advice on theDjango Unchainedset.

TheBack in Actionstar, 57, revealed in aVanity Fairvideo looking back at all of his hit movies that despite having an “all-star” cast, theDjango Unchainedactors really had to start “digging in” to get to the gritter parts of the source material in theQuentin Tarantinofilm — none more so than DiCaprio, 55.

“The subject matter, the N-word specifically, Leo had a hard time saying the N-word,” Foxx recalled. “We’re doing a read and Leo says [the N-word] and then he goes, ‘Hey man, hey, guys cut. I just can’t do this. This is not me.’ ”

“Samuel Jackson [then says], ‘Say that s—, m—–f—–. It’s just another Tuesday, f— them,’ ” he added with a laugh.

Foxx said he also gave theWolf of Wall Streetstar some tips when it came to crafting his character, who was a slave owner in the film, and DiCaprio took them to heart and used the advice to enhance his performance.

“I said, ‘Leo, in slavery days, we would never talk to each other,’ ” Foxx explained. “‘So I’m not your friend. I’m not Jamie Foxx. I’m, you know, I’m Django…’ I said, ‘You won’t be able to play that character unless you really understand what slavery was about. It was tough. It was horrific. Ain’t no kiki-ing with the slaves.’ ”

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“So the next day, I see Leo,” Foxx continued. “He walks in. I said, ‘Leo, what’s up?’ L, what’s up?’ He [didn’t] speak to me, he [was] ready. So everybody started, you know, digging in.”

TheRayactor then went on to praise Jackson for his work on the film, noting that theAvengersstar was “better than all of us” due to his ability to quickly switch in and out of the character on command.

“He should have gotten anOscar,” Foxx added. “The way he would turn it on and turn it off — ‘Say action.’ ”

Samuel L. Jackson and Kerry Washington in ‘Django Unchained’.Columbia/The Weinstein Company/Kobal/Shutterstock

Columbia/The Weinstein Company/Kobal/Shutterstock

As someone off screen said “action,” Foxx reenacted how Jackson would quickly take on the persona of his character Stephen and then get out of it after the director said, “cut.” He said that Jackson would then turn to the crew and ask, “What’d you think?”

“And I’m, like, this m—–f—– is [an] alien,” Foxx joked, adding, “I was waiting for him to do something like [pull his face off]. But that’s what the level was in this incredible movie.”

He added, “It was an all-star game.”

source: people.com