Samuel L. Jackson, Liv Ullmann and Elaine May to receive Honorary Oscars for lifetime achievement

The Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Thursday that the next recipients of Honorary Oscars will include actor Samuel L. Jackson, actress Liv Ullmann, and writer-director Elaine May, while actor Danny Glover will be presented with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.

The Oscar statuettes will be presented at the 12th Governors Awards next January in Los Angeles.

The Honorary Award is given as a tribute to "extraordinary distinction in lifetime achievement, exceptional contributions to the state of motion picture arts and sciences, or for outstanding service to the Academy," according to AMPAS.

Jackson, who was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for Quentin Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction," has starred in a long list of films, including "School Daze," "Do the Right Thing," "Mo' Better Blues," "Goodfellas," "Jungle Fever," "Jurassic Park," "Menace II Society," "True Romance," "Die Hard with a Vengeance," "A Time to Kill," and "Eve's Bayou." 

He also led "The Red Violin," "Rules of Engagement,"  "Shaft" (twice), "Unbreakable," "Reasonable Doubt," "Kill Bill: Vol. 2," "Snakes on a Plane," "Django Unchained," "The Hateful Eight" and "The Hitman's Bodyguard." 

He starred as Jedi master Mace Windu in the three "Star Wars" prequels ("The Phantom Menace," "Attack of the Clones" and "Revenge of the Sith"), and was the voice of Frozone in "The Incredibles." He has also owned the character Nick Fury in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

• Who wouldn't want to hang out with Samuel L. Jackson? ("60 Minutes")

Ullmann earned two Oscar nominations for Best Actress, for "The Emigrants" and Ingmar Bergman's "Face to Face." Her long association with Bergman began with "Persona," and continued with "Hour of the Wolf," "Shame," "The Passion of Anna," "Cries & Whispers," "Scenes From a Marriage," "The Serpent's Egg," "Autumn Sonata" and "Saraband." Other credits include "Pope Joan," "Zandy's Bride," "Richard's Things," "Dangerous Moves," "Gaby: A True Story," "Mindwalk," and "Two Lives." 

Ullmann has also directed, including "Sofie," "Faithless" and "Private Confessions" (both based on screenplays by Bergman), and her adaptation of August Strindberg's "Miss Julie."

May, who rose to fame as the writing and performing partner of Mike Nichols, appeared as an actress in "Enter Laughing" and "Luv," before writing, directing and starring in the 1971 comedy "A New Leaf." She directed the Neil Simon comedy "The Heartbreak Kid," wrote and directed "Mikey and Nicky" and "Ishtar," and wrote the scripts for "The Birdcage," "Heaven Can Wait" and "Primary Colors" (the last two earning her Oscar nominations). 

She was also a noted script doctor, whose work usually went uncredited — her biggest success being her contributions to "Tootsie."

The Academy presents its Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, which will be given this year to Danny Glover, to honor humanitarian efforts that have brought credit to the motion picture industry.

A community activist who has advocated for economic justice, labor unions, and access to health care and education in the United States and abroad, Glover is a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, and has also served as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Development Program.  

• Danny Glover says racism is the "foundation of this country" ("The Takeout")

As an actor, Glover is best known for the "Lethal Weapon" series. His major roles include "Places in the Heart," "Witness," "Silverado," "The Color Purple," "To Sleep with Anger," "Beloved," "The Royal Tenenbaums," "Manderlay," "Dreamgirls," "Beyond the Lights," "Sorry to Bother You," and "The Last Black Man in San Francisco."