Producers of "The Mountaintop" announced Thursday that the Academy Award-nominated actor will star in the play that traces the night before the civil rights leader's assassination.
The play, by Katori Hall, debuted in London in 2009. It had been rumored that Halle Berry would join Jackson but producers said "child custody issues" ruled her out.
Performances will begin Sept. 22 at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre on 45th Street. The official opening is slated for Oct. 13.
Jackson, known for films like "Pulp Fiction" and "Snakes on a Plane," originated roles in two of August Wilson's plays at Yale Repertory Theatre and appeared at the New York Shakespeare Festival.
