Samuel L. Jackson is viewing the Academy Awards with a renewed outlook. At 75, Jackson was candid when discussing his feelings about the prestigious award, stating that Oscar nominations hold little significance for him. "We've been in the industry long enough to understand that when people say, 'It's just an honor to be nominated,' it's not really true," Jackson shared with the Associated Press during a joint interview with his "The Piano Lesson" co-star Michael Potts.
"It's an honor to win," the "Pulp Fiction" actor emphasized, noting that most people tend to forget Oscar-nominated performances. "You get nominated, and people might say, 'Yeah, I remember that,' but most often, they forget," he quipped.
Jackson was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the 1995 Oscars for his role as Jules Winnfield in Quentin Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction." He lost to Martin Landau, who won for his portrayal of Ed Wood in the 1994 film of the same name. Jackson believed that if certain memorable scenes from Joel Schumacher's "A Time To Kill" hadn't been cut, he might have won an Oscar for that role. "The things they removed from the film prevented me from getting an Oscar," Jackson told Vulture in 2023. "Seriously, did you just take that away from me?"
After years without the coveted award, Jackson was finally bestowed the Honorary Academy Award in 2021, recognized as a "cultural icon" by the Academy. "Generally, it's a competition you didn't sign up for," he said about award ceremonies. "I didn't enter to show off. 'Let me do my scene so you remember who I am.'"
The "Star Wars" actor also conveyed to Vulture that his 2021 Oscar didn't feel honorary; instead, it felt like he was genuinely receiving an Oscar. "I earned it. I worked for it," he stated. "I can think of four other instances where I could have won or should have been nominated, but I'm content. It's mine. I have it. My name is on it."
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