Samuel L Jackson says he and his wife have different versions of how he proposed

Actor has been married to his wife, fellow actor LaTanya Richardson, for 42 years

Samuel L Jackson has admitted that he can’t remember how he proposed to his wife LaTanya Richardson, because he “was on drugs” at the time.

The actors have been together for more than 50 years and married for 42, with their 43rd wedding anniversary arriving in August.

Appearing on The Jennifer Hudson Show on Monday (22 May), Pulp Fiction star Jackson was asked how he popped the question.

Recounting his version of the story, Jackson said: “I came home one day, and she already had these invitations printed up, and she gave me a stack and said, ‘Be here.’”

However, he recalled Richardson telling him that “that’s not what happened”, explaining: “I actually had to go and talk to her grandfather because he told her he wanted to walk down the isle before he died... and so I went and asked him for her hand”.

“And that’s probably what happened because I was on drugs and I don’t know what the hell was going on in my life at the time,” the 74-year-old quipped.

“She’s probably right. But I like my version better because it sounds so much funnier.”

He added: “The problem was, she had 23 bridesmaids and I didn’t have 23 friends.”

Samuel L Jackson and LaTanya Richardson Jackson (Getty Images for DIFF)

In order to match her numbers, he said he “had my friends ask their friends if they were doing anything”.

The couple share one daughter, Zoe Jackson, a TV producer who has worked on RuPaul’s Drag Race, Top Chef and Top Chef Jr.

Jackson, the Oscar-winning actor, is best known for his roles in several Quentin Tarantino films, such as Django Unchained, The Hateful Eight, and Jackie Brown.

He’s also gained widespread recognition for his role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Nick Fury, which he will reprise in the upcoming miniseries Secret Invasion and The Marvels.

In a recent interview, Jackson challenged his longtime collaborator Tarantino, who argued that Marvel actors are “not movie stars”.

“It takes an actor to be those particular characters, and the sign of movie stardom has always been, what, asses in seats? What are we talking about?” Jackson said. “That’s not a big controversy for me to know that apparently these actors are movie stars.”