‘The Beast’ Star Samuel L. Jackson’s Hilarious Reaction to Meeting Mace Windu

Avatar photoRobert Milaković
Samuel L. Jackson Mace Windu
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George Lucas has dedicated nearly two decades to establishing his personal museum, navigating through three different cities before finally breaking ground in Los Angeles. This long and sometimes tumultuous journey culminated this past weekend when the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art hosted an opening night gala that was truly unprecedented in Hollywood.

The star-studded crowd at the gala included notable figures such as Mark Hamill and Oprah Winfrey, all getting a first glimpse at a collection that George Lucas has spent decades curating. However, amidst all the glamour, a more intimate moment ended up capturing the online spotlight.

According to Deadline, Samuel L. Jackson experienced a delightful surprise at the opening of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art when he encountered a lifelike figure of Mace Windu, the Jedi Master he portrayed in the ‘Star Wars’ prequel trilogy. A 10-second clip, filmed by Deadline’s Nellie Andreeva, shows Jackson’s initial shock followed by a big grin as he stands next to the uncanny likeness of his character.

The Mace Windu figure is depicted in full costume, complete with brown Jedi robes and a tan tunic, crafted with such realism that even Jackson needed a moment to process it. This attention to detail aligns with the museum’s overarching goal, which heavily features Lucas’s own archive of props, costumes, and concept art amassed over decades of filmmaking.

Jackson’s reaction quickly became one of the most shared highlights from the opening night, with viewers online praising it as the perfect response to encountering a hyper-realistic version of oneself frozen in time. It adds a touch of humor to a museum dedicated to the art of storytelling.

The museum is located on an 11-acre campus in Exposition Park, covering nearly 300,000 square feet across five levels, with over 100,000 square feet solely for gallery space. Inside, visitors can explore more than 1,300 works from artists like Norman Rockwell, Frida Kahlo, Frank Frazetta, and Jack Kirby, alongside the complete Lucas Archives from 1971 to 2012.

A significant portion of the archive features ‘Star Wars’ materials, including props, costumes, and vehicles like Luke Skywalker’s Landspeeder and General Grievous’s Wheel Bike, displayed alongside lifelike figures of iconic characters such as Luke, Leia, Darth Vader, and C-3PO. The museum’s design was crafted by architect Ma Yansong of MAD Architects, with landscape design by Mia Lehrer of Studio-MLA.

The journey to opening night was not without its challenges. Lucas initially sought a location in San Francisco’s Presidio, but after four years of unsuccessful negotiations, the project moved to Chicago in 2014. Legal challenges from preservationist groups ultimately led to its abandonment in 2016. Los Angeles was confirmed as the permanent site in January 2017, with construction beginning the following year, although delays, including those caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, pushed the opening from an original target of 2021 to 2026.

This lengthy process makes the final result feel like a true milestone rather than just another celebrity-driven vanity project. George Lucas and his wife, Mellody Hobson, reportedly invested nearly $1 billion of their own funds to realize this vision.

In a statement regarding the museum’s public opening, George Lucas shared his vision for the collection, stating, “The artists in this collection didn’t just create images, they connected our modern imaginations with our ancient emotions,” as noted in the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art’s press materials. This perspective positions the museum as a celebration of visual storytelling across the ages rather than merely a personal trophy case.

The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art officially opens to the public on Tuesday, September 22, with general admission tickets priced at $25 for adults.

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