Much like the artwork that hangs on the walls of the Museum of Modern Art, the laughter, sentiments, and well-wishes shared there last night were priceless. The occasion was the 2024 Film Benefit, honoring prolific actor Samuel L. Jackson and presented by Chanel for the 16th year. First held in 2011, the benefit has honored Cate Blanchett, Penélope Cruz, Tom Hanks, Guillermo del Torro, and others. Glitz and glamor abounded last night—from a starry guest list that included Sofia Coppola, Ezra Edelman, LL Cool J, Amanda Seyfried, and Cleo Wade to the stunning tablescapes topped with fresh blooms. Tributes from LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Spike Lee, Denzel Washington, and others were met with applause, laughter, and a few tears.
The evening kicked off with cocktails in the airy Samuel and Ronnie Heyman Lobby, before guests were led upstairs to a museum space transformed into an elegant dining room. “Tonight we come together to pay tribute to the legendary honorary Academy Award recipient and extraordinarily talented Samuel L. Jackson,” Sarah Arison, MoMA Board of Trustees President said during her opening remarks, before welcoming Michael Ovitz to the stage. “The thing about actors that’s amazing is that they are so chameleon and they can be so many different people, but at their core they’re always the same person,” said Ovitz, MoMA Board of Trustees & Film Committee Chair, citing Jackson as an “extraordinary” example.
Throughout the evening, heartfelt speeches were interspersed with montages of Jackon’s countless film roles over the years: a getaway driver in Goodfellas; a fast-talking drug addict in Jungle Fever; a bereaved, vengeful father in A Time to Kill; a principled basketball coach in Coach Carter; etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. Soon, Jackson will appear in the film adaptation of August Wilson’s play The Piano Lesson, directed by Malcolm Washinton. The benefit was a family affair for the young filmmaker, who attended along with sisters Katia Washington and Olivia Washington. His father, Denzel Washington, was there, too, reflecting on his decades-long friendship with Jackson.
“Lord forgive me, but Samuel L. Jackson is a bad motherfucker!” Washington exclaimed. (It was the first of many times the epithet was used last night—a nod to the countless times Jackson has famously uttered it on screen.) “Sam and I go back 45 years,” Washington shared. “He’s family to me. He’s my children’s uncle, [his daughter] Zoe is like our daughter. LaTanya and Pauletta,” Washington continued, naming his and Jackson’s wives, “Lord knows what the two of y’all have talked about! I love him, I respect him, I wish I was half the character actor that he is,” the Academy Award winner concluded.
