Anchor Goofs on Samuel L. Jackson's Identity

Things got a bit uncomfortable yesterday when KTLA anchor Sam Rubin, interviewing Samuel L. Jackson, got the actor mixed up with Laurence Fishburne. "Did you get a lot of reaction from that Super Bowl commercial?" Rubin asked Jackson, apparently referring to a Fishburne-starring, Matrix-themed Kia commercial. "What Super Bowl commercial?" asked Jackson, as Rubin stared off-camera, apparently embarrassed. Jackson then went on what the New York Daily News describes as "a two-minute tirade," frequently interrupting Rubin as he tried to shift the interview to a discussion of Robocop.

"You're as crazy as the people on Twitter. I'm not Laurence Fishburne. We don't all look alike. We may be all black and famous, but we all don't look alike. You're busted," Jackson said, albeit while smiling. "You're the entertainment reporter for this station? And you don't know the difference between me and Laurence Fishburne? There must be a very short line for your job." He went on to point out, "There's more than one black guy doing a commercial. I'm the 'What's in your wallet?' black guy. Morgan Freeman is the other credit card black guy. You only hear his voice though so you probably won't confuse him with Laurence Fishburne." Rubin later apologized on-air, calling Jackson's rant a "shellacking that was well deserved." (More Samuel L. Jackson stories.)