Veteran actor Danny Glover will receive the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, while performers Samuel L. Jackson and Liv Ullmann and writer-director-actress Elaine May will be presented with honorary Oscars, the Academy announced Thursday.
The Hersholt Award honors "an individual in the motion picture arts and sciences whose humanitarian efforts have brought credit to the industry." The honorary Oscars recognize "extraordinary distinction in lifetime achievement, exceptional contributions to the state of motion picture arts and sciences, or for outstanding service to the Academy."
The honors will be presented at the Academy's 12th Governors Awards on Jan. 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," Academy President David Rubin said in a statement. "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."
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Glover is best known for roles in films including "The Color Purple," "Lethal Weapon," "Dreamgirls" and "To Sleep With Anger." He serves as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and has been a longtime activist for economic, health and education equality in the United States and Africa.
Jackson's wide-ranging resume includes recent appearances in an array of "Avengers" and other Marvel films, along with classics including "Pulp Fiction," "Shaft," "The Long Kiss Goodnight," "True Romance," "Jurassic Park" and "Do The Right Thing," along with appearances in the recent "Star Wars" franchise.
Ullmann began working on stage in Norway and began a multi-film collaboration with famed director Ingmar Bergman, including appearances in "Persona," "The Passion of Anna" and "Cries and Whispers." She was nominated for best-actress Oscars in the 1970s for "The Emigrants" and "Face to Face."
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May wrote, directed and starred in "A New Leaf," and directed the films "Mikey and Nicky," "Ishtar" and "The Heartbreak Kid." As a screenwriter, she penned "The Birdcage" and received Oscar nominations for her adapted screenplays for "Heaven Can Wait" in 1978 and "Primary Colors" in 1998.
