Samuel L. Jackson Means Money

For years, Samuel L. Jackson was referred to as the hardest-working man in Hollywood. Well, all of that hard work has paid off, because now he's also the most financially successful.

His films have grossed more at the box office than those of any other actor in history. His latest movie, "XXX: State of the Union," is a sequel to one of his biggest hits. He talked to The Early Show co-anchor Harry Smith about his role in the "XXX" series.

"I'm able to call on people, touch into their patriotism," he says. "Even if they don't realize they're still very patriotic, in the end, they find a way to get the job done.

Vin Diesel, who was in the original, is not in the sequel.

"You know what? I'm really not sure what happened," says Jackson. "But like folks always said about old soap stars at contract negotiating time, you ended up on the operating table and depending on how successful your negotiations were, you lived or died."

The sequel may not have Diesel but it does have Ice Cube, with whom Jackson had not worked before. "He's the hero of this particular film," says Jackson. "It changes the genre in another kind of way, because it's an urban story about somebody trying to overthrow the government. So he brings a street credibility to the film that we didn't have before."

Smith wanted to know what it's like for Jackson to make a big action movie. Does he spend a lot of time waiting for the technical things to work?

"It's great for me, because I've always played those games," he says. "When we were kids, we would go and watch films like that and go home and pretend to be soldiers, cowboys, Indians, cops and robbers. So I played gun games all my life. The big difference in doing films like this is when you shoot somebody, they don't say, 'You missed.' They fall down. It's great."

What is it like for Jackson to realize that he has become such a big box-office draw?

"Well, actually, what happened was I was doing some pick-up shots on 'Star Wars.' George (Lucas) said that I was $150 million away from catching Harrison (Ford). I'm like, 'Catching him how?' He's like, 'In box office gross.'

"I didn't realize that," Jackson continues. "I didn't even realize there was a Web site you can access that situation. He said, 'By the time you finish "Star Wars," you'll be No. 1,' forgetting 'Incredibles' was about to come out. That kind of kicked me over the top.

"Right now," he quips, "I'm busy making space between me and Harrison."

Speaking of "Star Wars," at Smith's urging, Jackson reports, "I guess I can say that this particular episode is a lot darker than all the other episodes have been... Very Shakespearean, in terms of the machinations of all of the powers that be, bloodier. I get to go out in a...blaze of glory. It was great that I finally talked George into giving me this great light saber battle."

For Jackson, it was no problem working as an actor with the computer technology in the "Star Wars" movies.

"I grew up using my imagination," he explains. "So when somebody hands you something and they say, 'Well, this thing is there, and this thing is over there, and you're fighting all these things,' I just go back to my bedroom when I was a kid. Turn on my mind and let all these things attack me, and I do it.

"And sure, the language is not Pulitzer prize-winning language, but my job as an actor is to make that language fit my character and the way that everyone in the film talks," he continues. "So I have no problem saying stiff things like... 'May the force be with you.' "