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Samuel L. Jackson is known as being a veteran in Hollywood that we’ve seen dominate roles in comedy, action, thriller and more. Even though we know a lot about his movies we don’t know the real story behind Jackson.

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He recently graced the cover of The Hollywood Reporter and during the interview opened up about his success as well as what almost led to failing in life.

The actor struggled with his addiction to crack cocaine in the 1980s and the 90’s.

Jackson recalls working as an understudy on Broadway for actor Charles Dutton in “The Piano Lesson” and being high.

SEE ALSO: Samuel L. Jackson Explains How He Became An Usher At MLK’s Funeral

He said, “I had to sit there every night on the steps behind the theater and listen to Charles Dutton do that part. I’d sit there and smoke crack while I listened to the play. It made me f—ing crazy. Because I’d be listening to him doing the lines and going, ‘That’s not right!’ The whole time I was using, sure, I had a good reputation,” he admits. “I showed up on time, I did my lines. I was great. But there was something that was keeping me from getting to that next place.”

No one even knew that Jackson had an addiction, but he knew if he continued it would be the death of him. The day his wife, LaTanya Richardson Jackson and daughter found him unconscious in the kitchen was the day he checked himself into rehab.

Jackson said, “I’d been getting high since, s—, 15, 16 years old, and I was tired as f—.”

Following his release from rehab, Jackson booked the role of a drug addict in Spike Lee’s “Jungle Fever.”

Jackson said a lot of people in the facility didn’t think it was a good idea for him to take that role.

He said, “All the people in rehab were trying to talk me out of it. ‘You’re going to be messing around with crack pipes. All your triggers will be there. Blah, blah, blah. I was like, ‘You know what? If for no other reason than I never want to see you motherf—ers again, I will never pick up another drug.’ Cause I hated their asses.”

We love the work Samuel L. Jackson continues to do and are so happy we get to experience the work of an amazing actor.

Check out movies that still make you shed a thug tear below.

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