Samuel L. Jackson, Danny Glover To Receive Honorary Oscar Awards

HOLLYWOOD, CA — Acclaimed actor Danny Glover will receive the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, while Samuel L. Jackson, Liv Ullmann, and Elaine May will receive honorary Oscars, it was announced Thursday.

The Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, an Oscar statuette, is given “to an individual in the motion picture arts and sciences whose humanitarian efforts have brought credit to the industry.” The honorary award, also an Oscar statuette, is given “to honor extraordinary distinction in lifetime achievement, exceptional contributions to the state of motion picture arts and sciences, or for outstanding service to the Academy.”

The four awards will be presented at the Governors Awards on January 15, 2022.

“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.”

Glover first caught the attention of movie audiences in “The Color Purple” and went on to star opposite Mel Gibson in the “Lethal Weapon” series. He has also appeared in “To Sleep with Anger,” “The Royal Tenenbaums,” “Dreamgirls,” “Beyond the Lights” and “Sorry to Bother You.”

A lifelong community activist, he has been a particularly strong advocate for economic justice and access to health care and education in the United States and Africa. He has served as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Development Program and is currently a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.

Jackson, meanwhile, has become one of the most ever-present figures in Hollywood, with roles in over 100 films throughout his 49-year-career. Films he has appeared in have collectively grossed over $27 billion worldwide.

He was nominated for an Oscar in 1994 for his work in "Pulp Fiction" and has starred in "Shaft," "Jurassic Park," "Menace II Society," "Spider-Man: Far From Home," "The Hateful Eight" and many more.

Liv Ullmann started her career as a stage actress in Norway. She later impressed international audiences on "Persona," her first effort with director Ingmar Bergman. Since then, the two worked on several films such as "The Passion of Anna" and "Autumn Sonata."

She received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress for "The Emigrants" and "Face to Face," and later made her directorial debut in 1992 with "Sofie.

Elaine May received Oscar nominations for "Heaven Can Wait" and "Primary Colors. She first made her mark as a writer-director in "A New Leaf," in which she also starred.