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Hollywood legend Samuel L. Jackson has candidly shared his views on awards, asserting that winning, not just being nominated, is the true honor. Speaking in a recent interview with the Associated Press while promoting The Piano Lesson alongside Michael Potts, Jackson dismissed the oft-repeated sentiment that being nominated is enough.
“We’ve been in the business long enough to know that when folks go, ‘It’s just an honor to be nominated.’ No it ain’t. It’s an honor to win,” Jackson stated. He further explained that nominations often fade from memory, even for notable performances. “You get nominated and folks go, ‘Yeah, I remember that.’ Or most people forget. Generally, it’s a contest you didn’t volunteer to be in. I didn’t go in there so I could flex. ‘Let me do my scene, so you can remember who I was.’”
Jackson’s singular Oscar nomination came in 1995 for his iconic role as Jules Winnfield in Pulp Fiction. Despite the critical acclaim, he lost the Best Supporting Actor award to Martin Landau for Ed Wood. Reflecting on that moment, he recalled muttering “s***” as Landau’s name was announced, a reaction that went viral.
In 2022, Jackson received an Honorary Academy Award for lifetime achievement. While he appreciated the recognition, he noted, “It didn’t feel honorary. It just felt like I was getting an Oscar. I earned it. I worked for it.” He added, “I can possibly name four other instances where I could have won or should have been nominated, but I’m fine with it. It’s mine. I got it. My name’s on it.”
One role Jackson felt deserved Oscar recognition was Carl Lee Hailey in Joel Schumacher’s A Time to Kill (1996). In a previous interview, he revealed that a pivotal scene, which showcased the depth of his character’s motivations, was cut during editing. “It looked like I killed those dudes and then planned every move to make sure I was going to get away with it. When I saw it, I was sitting there like, ‘What the f***?’” he said.
Even outside of film, Jackson’s candid reactions have made waves. At the 2023 Tony Awards, he was nominated for Best Actor for his performance in The Piano Lesson but lost to Brandon Uranowitz.
