Jackson 'fine' with snake-killer role

SAN DIEGO — He's been a gangster and a hit man, a distraught father and a disgraced police officer, a scientist and a Jedi.

In his latest role, Samuel L. Jackson is a snake-killer.

Jackson stars in one of the summer's most anticipated movies, the title-says-it-all thriller "Snakes on a Plane."

He helped promote the movie last month at the country's biggest comic book convention, Comic-Con, by wearing an albino Burmese python around his neck. It's the closest he came to his slithery screen companions (agent's orders, he says). Still, Jackson was as cool as Jules Winnfield, the scripture-spouting hit man he played in 1994's "Pulp Fiction" that earned him an Academy Award nomination.

As the San Diego Convention Center buzzed with frenzied comic fans, Jackson relaxed outside on the patio, his blue Adidas-clad feet up on a table, brown shades and a white Kangol hat shielding his eyes from the sun.

AP: How was it working with the snakes on this movie?

Jackson: I'm fine with snakes. Fortunately for me, when things start happening, when the snakes originally show up on the plane, I'm kind of upstairs. When I come down, the snakes are in one part of the plane and I herd people out of there and block that part of the plane off, so I very seldom come in contact with them. My agent didn't let them put live snakes close to me.

AP: You didn't trust the snake trainer?

Jackson: He's a snake handler. He's a snake wrangler. There's no such thing as a snake trainer. You can't teach a snake to roll over and sit up. They just don't take orders. Who trusts that?

AP: What else is going on besides "Snakes"?

Jackson: "Afro Samurai" is an animated series that's going to be on Spike. I still have to finish the voice work for it, and they haven't finished animating it yet. Then there's "Home of the Brave," probably out in December, with Jessica Biel, Christina Ricci, Brian Presley and 50 Cent. "Black Snake Moan" is coming out next year. That's a good little film.

AP: And then you have something with penguins?

Jackson: "Farce of the Penguins." It's a spoof. I do a Morgan Freeman role. It's just like the other one, except it's penguins on the dark side.

AP: What would be your dream role?