Yahoo Lifestyle Samuel L. Jackson Shared A Seriously Hot Take On The Oscars And Why He Doesn’t Think It’s An “Honor” To Get Nominated
Samuel L. Jackson just shared a potentially controversial opinion about the Academy Awards.
In a new interview clip published by the Associated Press, the Pulp Fiction star explained why he refutes the idea among many actors that it’s an honor to simply be nominated for an Oscar, even if you don’t win.
“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,” he said, laughing. “It’s an honor to win.”
Defending his stance, Samuel argued that many of the Oscar-nominated performances — and even some of the Oscar-winning ones, too — wind up being forgotten in the long run.
“You get nominated, and folks go, ‘Yeah, I remember that.’ Or most people forget,” he said. “Generally it’s a contest you didn’t volunteer to be in.”
He continued: “I didn’t go in there so I could flex. ‘Let me do my scene so you can remember who I was.’ They nominate you, and people go, ‘What is that movie you’re nominated for? What’s the name of that thing?’ And after it’s over and, people have a hard time remembering who even won.”
If you didn't know, 20 acting performances are nominated for Oscars each year, with five nominees in each acting category — Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Supporting Actor.
In light of the sheer number of movies released each year, it’s a considerable feat to even score a nomination, which is why there is so much buzz in the lead-up to awards season as critics and fans speculate who might be in with a chance.
Notably, despite being one of the most iconic actors of his generation, Samuel has only ever been nominated for an Oscar once, back in 1995.
He received a nod for his performance as Jules Winnfield in Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction. However, he was beaten out by Martin Landau, who won for his role in Tim Burton’s Ed Wood.
In 2022, Samuel was presented with an honorary Academy Award, which he later said probably felt as good as getting the real thing.
“I earned it. I worked for it,” he told Vulture last year. “I can possibly name four other instances where I could have won or should have won or should have been nominated, but I’m fine with it. It’s mine. I got it. My name’s on it.”
With the 2025 Oscar nominations right around the corner, that’s certainly something for the next batch of hopefuls to bear in mind. Do you agree with Sam's take? LMK in the comments.
You can watch the AP interview clip here.
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