Samuel L. Jackson’s Honorary Oscar Was Handed Out By Denzel Washington Ahead Of Telecast, And Fans Are Confused

It’s no question, Samuel L. Jackson is a living Hollywood legend. Between his incredibly quotable lines in movies like Pulp Fiction, Snakes on a Plane, massive roles in Marvel, Star Wars and prolific resume, many movie fans (even casual moviegoers) would surely love to see the actor accept his only Oscar thus far and celebrate with the rest of Hollywood. Unfortunately, Jackson was awarded his honorary Oscar on Friday night instead of Sunday’s telecast and fans are calling out the Academy once again. 

Samuel L. Jackson was honored at the Governors Awards with his first ever Oscar after fifty years in the industry after Denzel Washington introduced the Academy Award. New York Times journalist Kyle Buchanan shared the moment on Twitter leading to an outcry of fans who would have preferred to see him accept the award on Oscar night. Check it out: 

It’s a sweet moment between Denzel Washington and Samuel L. Jackson, who shared the stage after the famed Oscar winner pointed out the actor’s achievements. Washington made light of some incredible notes regarding the actor likely having the largest collective box office haul of any other actor at $27 billion along with naming off all his charitable work for nearly a minute straight. 

When Jackson hit the stage, he and Washington shared an adorable embrace. And once he got to the podium, he couldn’t help but reach in for another one. During his speech, he spent some time thanking his wife of 42 years, LaTanya Richardson Jackson. Per Buchanan, when Jackson accepted the award, he also said this: 

Samuel L. Jackson has been in over 150 movies since getting his start in the ‘70s and he’s still got it. After all those roles, it’s incredible Jackson has yet to be recognized by the Academy until this weekend. The actor was nominated for an Oscar once for 1994’s Pulp Fiction in the Best Actor in a Supporting Role category, however, Ed Wood’s Martin Landau won instead, which Jackson got blunt about recently. The actor has also been outspoken in the past about the Academy’s lack of inclusion with nominees. 

Fans on Twitter who watched the moment via a Twitter video a couple days before the Oscars were not happy about it. As Twitter user @AmandaSmithSays shared in a tweet: 

There’s especially some tension at this year’s ceremony because The Academy decided to cut eight categories from the broadcast, perhaps to later announce an additional Encanto performance, among a new Fan Favorite award and other festivities less about the actual nominees. As another @JohnDiLillo wrote on Twitter: 

Many movie fans feel there is a sense of the Oscars moving away from elements of the ceremony that are movie-focused to please a broader audience. Here’s one more reaction via @BenLikesMovies: 

The Academy Awards are airing this Sunday on ABC. You can check out how to watch the Best Picture nominees here on CinemaBlend.