The historical lack of recognition for actors of color makes some snubs less surprising than others. However, Samuel L. Jackson's – one of the most gross works – is quite impressive. Box office collection of all time, more than £21bn ($27bn) – has only ever been nominated for an Academy Award for 1995's Pulp Fiction. The actor has also been open about his snaps. In an interview with The Eagle in 2023, he shared his feelings about the nomination for A Time to Kill. Stolen From him because of the way the film was edited.
Although the actor has delivered dozens of memorable performances and won six People's Choice Awards, the 73-year-old has never won an Oscar. In 2022, recognizing Jackson's decades-long career as somehow overlooked, the Academy presented him with an honorary Oscar for Lifetime Achievement at the Governor's Awards. Denzel Washington.
Another talented black actor, Angela Bassett, who was nominated for her role as Tina Turner in What's Love Got to Do With It and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, was snubbed both times. In 2023, she made history as the first actor to be nominated for an Oscar for a Marvel film as Queen Ramonda in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, losing the award to Jamie Lee Curtis. In January 2024, Bassett was awarded an honorary Oscar.
Of course, there are many dynamics involved in who gets nominated and who wins. Thanks to efforts toward diversity at the awards, that dynamic is ever-changing. Y-Vaughn Hutchinson, founder and CEO of The Ready Set, a consulting and strategy firm that helps entertainment companies and consumers improve their inclusion efforts, says that despite progress at the Oscars in recent years, it's not enough. . When it comes to actors of color, the snubs aren't just about what the Academy deems worthy, it's a result of who gets the jobs.
„There has been some progress, but there is still a sense that there is a limit to that progress,” he tells BBC Culture. For actors of color, opportunities come with added pressure, she says. „I know there's still a fear of actors and creators not getting one shot, and even with progress there's a dearth of roles and opportunities”.
A prime example of that was Lily Gladstone's loss to Emma Stone for Best Actress on Sunday. „Even though Emma Stone is so beloved, a lot of people are rooting for Lily Gladstone to be recognized,” People magazine's culture critic Angela Andaloro tells BBC Culture.
„Stone,” Andaloro explains, „while clearly grateful for the honor and grace of mentioning the other nominated actresses in her acceptance speech, will certainly have other opportunities — and that didn't affect the outcome of last night's ceremony.”
„A win for Lily, on the other hand, being the first Native American woman to be nominated in an acting category, would have been really tough and opened up the possibility of that representation,” Andaloro concludes.
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