Samuel L. Jackson On Oscars: “It’s an Honor to Win,” Not Just Be Nominated
Samuel L. Jackson isn’t one to sugarcoat his thoughts. The legendary actor, 75, recently shared his candid views on Hollywood’s awards culture during an interview with The Associated Press. For Samuel, being nominated for an Academy Award is nice, but it’s winning that truly counts.
“We’ve been in the business long enough to know that folks who go, ‘Well, it’s just an honor to be nominated,’ no it ain’t,” Samuel said with his signature frankness in a clip posted on X. “It’s an honor to win.” His comment sparked laughter from his The Piano Lesson co-star Michael Potts, 62.
Samuel went on to highlight the fleeting nature of nominations. “You know, you get nominated, folks go, ‘Yeah, I remember that,’ or most people forget,” he explained. Michael chimed in, agreeing, “They only remember the winner.”
Despite his illustrious career spanning over 40 years, Samuel has only received one competitive Oscar nomination. In 1995, he was recognized for his iconic role as hitman Jules in Pulp Fiction but lost the Best Supporting Actor award to Martin Landau, who won for Ed Wood.
Reflecting on the experience, Samuel described the awards race as something actors don’t necessarily sign up for. “And generally, it’s a contest you didn’t volunteer to be in, you know,” he said, adding, “I didn’t go in there so I could flex like, ‘Wait a minute, let me do my scene then! Hold up! Make sure you remember who I was!’”
“They nominate you and folks go, ‘What is that movie they nominated for? What is the name of that thing?’ And then after it’s over, people have a hard time remembering who even won,” he said further.
Though his competitive Oscar record may be sparse, Samuel received a significant accolade in 2022 when he was awarded an honorary Academy Award for lifetime achievement at the Governors Awards. His close friend Denzel Washington, 69, presented the award in a heartfelt moment that celebrated Samuel’s contributions to cinema.
During his acceptance speech, Samuel expressed gratitude for his decades-long journey in Hollywood. “I got out there to entertain audiences the way Hollywood entertained me,” he said. “Make them forget their lives for a few hours and be thrilled, awed, or excited at the big room where make believe lives,” he said in an acceptance speech at the time. “Thanks to every person who has ever bought a ticket to any movie I was in. It’s truly been an honor and a pleasure to entertain you.”
Samuel recently teamed up with Denzel again for The Piano Lesson, now streaming on Netflix. Directed by Denzel’s son Malcolm Washington and starring another son, John David Washington, the film is a family affair, showcasing talent across generations.
