Deadline reportsSamuel L. Jackson, Elaine May, and Liv Ullmann have been selected by the Academy to receive honorary Oscars at next year’s Governors Awards ceremony in January. Danny Glover will be given the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, which is presented in the form of a Oscar statuette.
“We are thrilled to present this year’s Governors Awards to four honorees who have had a profound impact on both film and society,” Academy President David Rubin said. “Sam Jackson is a cultural icon whose dynamic work has resonated across genres and generations and audiences worldwide, while Elaine May’s bold, uncompromising approach to filmmaking, as a writer, director and actress, reverberates as loudly as ever with movie lovers.
“Liv Ullmann’s bravery and emotional transparency has gifted audiences with deeply affecting screen portrayals, and Danny Glover’s decades-long advocacy for justice and human rights reflects his dedication to recognizing our shared humanity on and off the screen,” Rubin continued.
Jackson has been nominated once for an Oscar. He lost to Martin Landau in 1995 after receiving the nod for his role as Jules Winnfield in the Quentin Tarantino-directed flick Pulp Fiction. Jackson’s loss goes down in history as one of the most honest in-the-moment reactions because the actor could clearly be seen saying, “Shit,” after Landau was announced as the winner. Check out the moment below.
Despite catching an L that one time, Jackson has been stacking wins throughout his career, and owns the distinct honor of being the actor with the highest career-film grosses of all-time.
May was nominated twice in the Best Adapted Screenplay category for Heaven Can Wait and Primary Colors. She was awarded the National Medal of Arts from then-President Barack Obama for contributions to American comedy. Glover, an activist, Civil Rights advocate, and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, has never been nominated for an Oscar.
