Given the panoply of colorful language that Samuel L. Jackson has used in his film career it would not seem to require much effort to get him to enunciate another expressive word of the 4-, 8- or 12-letter variety. But after two (or possibly one and a half) vulgarities slipped past his lips on “Saturday Night Live” over the weekend, Mr. Jackson suggested in an interview Tuesday night that they were the fault of an “S.N.L.” cast member who may have missed his cues.

As he was being bid goodnight by Kenan Thompson, who plays the host of the recurring “Saturday Night Live” sketch “What Up With That?”, Mr. Jackson appeared to utter at least part of an obscene word, then spoke another as Mr. Thompson comically chided him. (“Come on, Sam,” Mr. Thompson told him. “That costs money.”)

Discussing his “S.N.L.” appearance with Jimmy Kimmel on Tuesday night, Mr. Jackson said he had spoken only half a swear word in the first instance, adding: “I got the next whole word out.” He also expressed surprise that NBC had censored the words in a West Coast rebroadcast of “Saturday Night Live.” (Video of the original exchange, with those words uncensored, can be found here.)

Mr. Jackson said in the interview that Mr. Thompson “was supposed to cut me off.”

“So you’re saying this was Kenan’s fault?” Mr. Kimmel asked.

After a shrug, Mr. Jackson replied: “I’m used to working with professionals that know their lines. Even the ones that are written on cue cards in front of you.”

Press representatives for “Saturday Night Live” did not immediately respond to a request for comment.