Samuel L Jackson and Danny Glover to receive honorary Oscars

The two actors will be recognised at the Governors Awards on January 15

Actor Samuel L Jackson will receive an honorary Oscar on January 15. Courtesy AFP  

Actors Samuel L Jackson and Danny Glover will receive honorary Oscars ahead of the 2022 ceremony, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced.

Along with Jackson, Norwegian actress Liv Ullmann and actress-director Elaine May will be given honorary statuettes, while Glover will receive the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the Governors Awards on January 15.

"We are thrilled to present this year's Governors Awards to four honorees who have had a profound impact on both film and society," said Academy president David Rubin.

Jackson, 72, has appeared in more than 100 films over the course of his career, and earned an Oscar nomination for his performance in Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction. Best known for his deep, authoritative voice and frequent swearing, he has starred in the Die Hard and Star Wars franchises, and has appeared in many Marvel movies, as Shield boss Nick Fury.

Glover, 74, shot to fame in Steven Spielberg's 1985 adaptation of The Color Purple, before going on to star opposite Mel Gibson in the much-loved Lethal Weapon movies.

Beyond the silver screen, he is involved in wide-reaching community activism and philanthropic efforts, with a particular emphasis on advocacy for economic justice, and access to health care and education programs in the US and Africa.

He is a Unicef Ambassador and served as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Development Programme from 1998 to 2004, focusing on issues of poverty, disease and economic development in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean.

"Danny Glover's decades-long advocacy for justice and human rights reflects his dedication to recognising our shared humanity on and off the screen," Rubin said.

Ullmann, 82, was first introduced to international audiences in Ingmar Bergman's Persona and made a number of films with the Swedish director. She earned two Oscar nominations for best actress in the 1970s and was praised by Rubin for her "bravery and emotional transparency."

May, 89, achieved success through her comedy partnership with Mike Nichols before going on to earn Oscar nominations for the screenplays for Heaven Can Wait and Primary Colors. "Elaine May's bold, uncompromising approach to filmmaking, as a writer, director and actress, reverberates as loudly as ever with movie lovers," Rubin said.