Samuel L. Jackson has appeared in some of the most famous films and film franchises in history, from “Jurassic Park” to “Star Wars” to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And he has worked with Oscar-winning filmmakers like Quentin Tarantino and Spike Lee. How on Earth, then, has he only ever been nominated for one competitive Oscar in his career? And can he finally add another to his resume? This fall he appears in the Netflix film adaptation of the August Wilson play “The Piano Lesson.”
Jackson’s competitive Oscar nom came exactly 30 years ago, Best Supporting Actor for “Pulp Fiction” (1994). He lost that award to Martin Landau for playing Bela Lugosi in “Ed Wood.” I say “competitive” because Jackson actually does have a trophy at home, an Honorary Oscar awarded to him in 2022. That doesn’t preclude him from winning another one outright, though. And “Piano Lesson” has the potential to be the right vehicle, just as “Oppenheimer” was last year for another under-rewarded Marvel vet, Robert Downey Jr.
“The Piano Lesson,” a family drama set in 1930s Pittsburgh, was first staged on Broadway in 1990, earning five Tony nominations and winning the Pulitzer Prize. Then it was revived in 2022 with Jackson in the role of patriarch Doaker Charles. It contended for Best Play Revival at the Tonys and Jackson earned a nom for Best Featured Actor in a Play.
Most of the Broadway cast is back for the film adaptation, including John David Washington, Ray Fisher and Michael Potts. It’s directed by John David’s brother Malcolm Washington in his feature filmmaking debut. And it’s produced by their father, actor-director Denzel Washington. It’s always hard to know what to expect from a debut director, but August Wilson play adaptations have a good awards track record so far, with “Fences” (2016) winning Best Supporting Actress for Viola Davis and “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” (2020) earning lead bids for Davis and Chadwick Boseman.
The “Piano Lesson” film has yet to be seen, but the Broadway revival gives us hints of what’s to come, and based on the initial predictions of Gold Derby users who have bravely placed their early Oscar bets here in our predictions center, Jackson is the front-runner for Best Supporting Actor. If he wins, he’ll follow in the footsteps of aforementioned collaborator Spike Lee: taking home an honorary trophy first and a competitive award second. It’s never too late.
Make your predictions at Gold Derby now. Download our free and easy app for Apple/iPhone devices or Android (Google Play) to compete against legions of other fans plus our experts and editors for best prediction accuracy scores. See our latest prediction champs. Can you top our esteemed leaderboards next? Always remember to keep your predictions updated because they impact our latest racetrack odds, which terrify Hollywood chiefs and stars. Don’t miss the fun. Speak up and share your huffy opinions in our famous forums where 5,000 showbiz leaders lurk every day to track latest awards buzz. Everybody wants to know: What do you think? Who do you predict and why?
