WENN
Samuel L. Jackson and the cast of Spike Lee‘s 1989 movie “Do The Right Thing” were constantly harassed by gang members and hoodlums in New York during filming because they ruined “business” on the streets.
Lee hired members of the Fruit of Islam organization to work security on the set, but whenever Jackson or his co-stars left the safety of their surroundings, thugs threatened to beat them up.
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During a recent cast reunion, organized by Entertainment Weekly, Jackson revealed, “Once the Fruit of Islam cleared out the crack houses, it was quiet in there, nobody bothered us. (But) the occasional time when you roam off set and go to a store in the neighbourhood, some guys would say something to the effect of, ‘You acting [expletive] came in here and ruined our business, we’re gonna [expletive] you up!’ “I’d be like, ‘Well, you know, I haven’t always been an actor, so I’m not gonna stand here and take an a**whupping’.”
Co-star Rosie Perez adds, “I was living with my sister, Carmen, and her common-law husband during shooting, and she was four blocks from set. So for me it was, ‘OK, I’m just going to walk down the road and film something’. Not a long commute. But for others I remember them being very wary of the neighborhood and being on constant guard.”