Quickly becoming a box office star, Jackson continued with three starring roles in 1997. In "187" he played a dedicated teacher striving to leave an impact on his students. He received an Independent Spirit award for Best First Feature alongside first-time writer/director Kasi Lemmons in the drama "Eve's Bayou", for which he also served as executive producer. He joined up again with Tarantino for "Jackie Brown" and received the Silver Bear for Best Actor at the Berlin Film Festival and a fourth Golden Globe nomination for his portrayal of arms merchant Ordell Robbie In 1998, he worked with established actors: Sharon Stone and Dustin Hoffman in "Sphere;" and Kevin Spacey in "The Negotiator", playing a hostage negotiator who resorts to taking hostages himself when he is falsely accused of murder and embezzlement. In 1999, Jackson starred in the horror film "Deep Blue Sea", and as Jedi Master Mace Windu in George Lucas' "". In an interview, Jackson claimed that he did not have a chance to read the script for the film and did not learn he was playing the character Mace Windu until he was fitted for his costume (though he later said that he was eager to accept any role, just for the chance to be a part of the "Star Wars" saga).