10 Phenomenally Talented Actors Who Have Never Won Oscars

8. Samuel L. Jackson

In 1995, Samuel L. Jackson received a nomination for Best Supporting Actor in Pulp Fiction, but lost to Martin Landau, who won for portraying Bella Legosi in Tim Burton's forgotten Ed Wood. Watch the announcement on YouTube (you'll have to add insult to injury and search "Martin Landau acceptance speech"). You'll see Jackson, at the utterance of the first syllable that doesn't sound like "Samuel L. Jackson," express his displeasure with a bitter expletive. Later, he found himself nominated for a Golden Globe after working with Tarantino again in the underrated Jackie Brown. While it's currently streaming on Netflix this film should be revisited. Not to impugn his famous work in Pulp Fiction, but his performance of Ordell Robbie has a range that wasn't written into the character of Jules. There's a subtlety and attention to detail in the way he carries the Ordell character it's a pity the film seems dismissed, even by Tarantino fans.