Samuel L. Jackson and Whoopi Goldberg on ‘The View’.Credit: ABC (2)

Samuel L. Jackson’s wife, actress LaTanya Richardson Jackson, appeared for an interview on The View.
Richardson Jackson pointed out her husband sitting in the audience.
Whoopi Goldberg identified Jackson and pulled him up to the Hot Topics table.

Whoopi Goldberg just identified, tracked, and retrieved the A-list, Oscar-nominated actor Samuel L. Jackson while he was hiding in The View‘s studio audience.

The stealth operation came Thursday morning during an interview with Jackson’s wife, Broadway star and current Purpose actress LaTanya Richardson Jackson, who was reflecting on over five decades of romance with the Pulp Fiction actor before indicating that he was, in fact, sitting in the talk show’s audience watching the conversation.

“You have now been together — this is just beautiful — for 55 years,” Sara Haines said before Richardson Jackson added, “He’s here with me now because he won’t let me do anything by myself!”

Joy Behar then urged, “Come on, Sam!” before the audience applauded, and Goldberg got up from her seat to fetch Jackson from the audience.

“I see you — too late, man,” Goldberg said as she made her way toward a chair in the audience where was Jackson sitting.

She then led Jackson by the hand back to the Hot Topics table, where the cohosts greeted him and Richardson Jackson quipped, “Okay, bye!”

Samuel L. Jackson and Whoopi Goldberg on ‘The View’.ABC

Though the show’s staff could be seen adding a chair to the table for Jackson to join, Behar later said, “This is her moment,” and then Jackson went back to his off-camera post.

Jackson and Richardson Jackson first met at Morehouse College and married in 1980. Together, they share a daughter, Zoe, who was born in 1982.

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Jackson’s appearance isn’t the first impromptu celebrity surprise on the beloved talk show. Ryan Reynolds made an unannounced cameo on a June 2024 episode while sitting in the audience with his mom, a View fan.