Kendrick Lamar’s 2025 NFL Halftime Show wouldn’t have been complete without Samuel L. Jackson. Without him, Kendrick would have just performed his biggest songs and ended his battering of Drake that lasted a calendar year. This would’ve been plenty of fun regardless; he’s an incredibly strong performer. However, bringing the Pulp Fiction actor into the mix added another layer to arguably the biggest stage in the United States. There, he would wear an Uncle Sam outfit, perhaps to reflect America’s biggest game. But Jackson didn’t know until rehearsal came that he would be a part of something much bigger.
Recently, Samuel L. Jackson spoke with Jimmy Kimmel on his late-night show to promote his role on Paramount’s Tulsa King. There, he reflected on being a part of one of the biggest moments of 2025. Ultimately, it was all a bit of a surprise for the seasoned veteran actor. While the halftime show producers promised to send treatment for his involvement, he declined and just promised to be there. Jackson also recalled how fun it was watching the dance rehearsals. But dress rehearsals made for a different story.
Samuel L. Jackson Recalls Playing Uncle Sam for Big Super Bowl Performance
“That was the first time I knew we were doing a revolution,” Jackson says when he received the costume and saw the full set. “I knew I was dressing as Uncle Sam. But I just thought that was like, okay, fine, it’s an Uncle Sam thing. When dress rehearsal starts, I’m there, I’m doing it, and I turn around and I said, ‘wait a minute, that’s a flag… they’re making a flag up there. Oh, now I’m going, ‘ah, now it’s revolutionary.’”
It was certainly historic, all bridged together by Samuel L. Jackson and his iconic voice. It was largely beloved, despite negative reviews from a small minority, including Noel Gallagher and Kid Rock. For the big 2026 Super Bowl Halftime Show, we’re getting Bad Bunny, which has tipped off a fair amount of conservatives. The Trump Administration has gone far enough to suggest that they’re going to bring ICE to the biggest show in America.
“There is nowhere you can provide safe haven to people who are in this country illegally,” Department of Homeland Security advisor Corey Lewandowski said. “Not the Super Bowl and nowhere else. We will find you and apprehend you and put you in a detention facility and deport you. Know that it is a very real situation under this administration, which is contrary to how it used to be.”
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