Samuel Jackson: Star Wars role a dream come true by Rob Lang

"CANNES (Reuters) - Dreams of comic-book heroics fueled Samuel L. Jackson's desire for a part in George Lucas's "Star Wars" epic.

"I used to sit in the theater and wonder who was auditioning people, where were they holding the auditions and how could I get in it," Jackson told Reuters on Saturday, the eve of the world premiere of the sixth and final "Star Wars" episode.

"It's always part of that comic-book world that I grew up reading and wishing I could be in," he added, as the Cannes film festival braced for a flood of Lucas publicity on Sunday.

The movie, "Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith," is set for its global premiere in the French Riviera resort, with an ocean liner booked to host Lucas and the world's media for one of the most heavily hyped releases in recent years.

The first five films have taken well over $3.5 billion at the box office and a further $9 billion in official merchandise sales.

Jackson believes Sith is a key part of the series, because it explains how Anakin Skywalker turns from Jedi Knight to evil warlord Darth Vader." (full article at link)
--