Samuel L. Jackson jokes about getting an Oscar nomination

Samuel Jackson belongs to that elite class of actors that you think has at least an oscar [see also: Glenn Close, Angela Bassett, Annette Bening, Glenn Close again] but in reality, he has only been nominated once in his storied career.

Sure, he has an honorary Oscar, but we all know that doesn’t count. All that could change with The piano lessonadapted from the play of the same title by August Wilson. Jackson jokes that if he gets nominated this time, it will only be an “honor” if he wins.

“We’ve been in the business long enough to know that people who say, ‘Well, it’s an honor to be nominated.’ No, it’s not,” Jackson said in a joint AP interview with piano lesson her co-star Michael Potts. “It’s an honor to win.”

Jackson was nominated in 1995 for Best Supporting Actor for his unforgettable and oft-quoted role as Jules Winnfield in pulp fictionfinally losing to Martin Landau for Ed Wood. In 2021, Jackson received the Honorary Academy Award, recognizing his work as a “cultural icon whose dynamic work has resonated with genres, generations and audiences around the world.”

“You know, when you get nominated, people say, ‘Yeah, yeah, I remember that. Most people forget, you know,’” Jackson continued. “It’s usually a contest that you don’t volunteer to participate in. I didn’t go in there so I could flex, like, ‘Well, wait a minute. Let me do my scene then! Wait!'”

The cultural icon went on to note that after all is said and done, however, “people have a hard time remembering who won.”

Produced by someone who knows the honor of victory, Denzel Washington (with Todd Black), The piano lesson It stars Jackson as patriarch Doaker Charles, whose two sons, Boy Willie (John David Washington) and Berniece (Danielle Deadwyler) argue over the fate of an inherited piano during the Great Depression.

Deadwyler, who lost upon being nominated at the latest Academy Awards for her acclaimed role in UntilHe has already won a couple of awards at festivals for The piano lesson and is nominated for Best Supporting Performance at the Gotham Awards, which will be held next week on December 2.

Wilson’s 1987 play won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, while the 1990 Broadway production was nominated for five Tony Awards, including Best Play. Jackson starred the resurgence of 2022 (with John David Washington), although he earned a Tony nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Play surely It was simply an honor to be nominated.

The piano lesson It is currently streaming on Netflix.