Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson announced last week, in a heavily promoted virtual town hall event, that he would not be seeking a fifth term in office.
The program included a short documentary featuring comments from Jackson himself and handful of civic leaders, who weighed in on Jackson and his accomplishments as Cleveland’s longest-serving mayor.
It’s a curious little movie that, among other things, provides insight into how Jackson intends to curate his legacy. It also concludes with a recorded thank you message from none other than Hollywood actor Samuel L. Jackson, who said it was “an honor and a pleasure” to have met the Mayor during his time in Cleveland filming The Avengers and Captain America: Winter Soldier.
In a press conference the day after his announcement, Mayor Jackson confirmed that he did indeed hang out with Samuel L. Jackson during The Avengers shoots, including a tour of the Central neighborhood. And while the Mayor clarified that he didn’t party with the Snakes on a Plane star, he called him a down-to-earth guy who you’d never guess was a major celebrity.
The seven-minute documentary can be viewed in full above.
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This article appears in May 5-18, 2021.