An Affair to Remember: Inside the 2024 MoMA Film Benefit Honoring Samuel L. Jackson
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 Jackson’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; and countless more. Soon, Jackson will appear in the film adaptation of August Wilson’s play The Piano Lesson, directed by Malcolm Washington. 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.
LaTanya Richardson Jackson, meanwhile, coupled her praise of her husband with a very honest look back on their life together. As the story goes, the two met in college—she was a student at Spelman and he at Morehouse—and she initially knew him as “the cheerleader guy,” with the great afro. Though she was “unimpressed” the first time she saw him perform (a detail that prompted uproarious laughter from the crowd) “next thing I know we were doing a play called Pearly, and the rest was history. It was like we were attached at the hip.” Though Jackson went on to land several film roles in the ’80 and early ’90s, it wasn’t until his turn in Pulp Fiction that his wife was fully convinced of his talent. “I sat in that theater and I started crying,” she shared. “I said ‘my life is over; he’s going to be a movie star….’ So now here we are today and tonight,” she said, looking at her husband of more than 40 years in the crowd. “I want to thank Chanel, I would like to thank all the people who decided that he was worth it. He’s the love of my life, and he and Zoe make up our little tiny tiny family, and he’s the love of her life—and he’s worth it.”
The evening continued with a course of burrata and roasted vegetables followed by short ribs served atop whipped potatoes. Among those mingling over dinner and drinks were Thelma Golden, David Alan Grier, Tamara Mellon, Michael Potts, and Amy Sherald—as well as Meghann Fahy and Natasha Lyonne, who were among those dressed in Chanel.
Additional tributes came from Lee, who recalled being “blown away” by Jackson when the two met in college; George Lucas, who sent well wishes via video; and Walton Goggins, who likened his first time meeting Jackson to meeting family. “For a minute, I thought, ‘I’m the only person he makes feel that way,” Goggins said. “But the truth is,” he continued, turning to Jackson in the crowd, “you make everybody feel that way.”
When Jackson accepted his honor, he spoke of his “unyielding love of storytelling” and two other great loves: “My dear wife, LaTanya, who has been my rock, my partner, and my greatest supporter…after she figured out I could act,” he joked, before extending “big love in all caps” to Zoe. “Thank you for always being down with a brother, and for being constant inspirations,” he said of friends who had spoken earlier in the evening. “The ups and downs we’ve been through together—whether it’s the laughter we’ve shared or the challenges we’ve weathered—have enriched me immeasurably.” Jackson went on to share that he’s learned something new about the human experience from every character he’s played, and that he carries those lessons with him daily. “As we celebrate film tonight,” he said, noting Chanel’s longtime support of cinema, “let’s remember the power it has to change lives and inspire future generations that benefit from MoMA’s acquisition and preservation of films—like the ones that ignited the dreams of a little Black kid sitting in a segregated Tennessee movie theater to be standing before you tonight.”
The evening was capped with an arresting set by Grammy Award–winning singer-songwriter Tems, who was introduced by actress Danielle Deadwyler. Her live performance, which included hits “Wait For U” and “Free Mind,” is likely still resonating with those who were in attendance. Same goes for the words of Jackson’s longtime friend Kenny Leon who was one of the night’s speakers. “We’re all so blessed to have shared the planet with Samuel L. Jackson,” he said. “One of the best motherfuckers on the planet.”
Matteo Prandoni/BFA.com1/32LaTanya Richardson Jackson and Samuel L. Jackson
Matteo Prandoni/BFA.com2/32Malcolm Washington, Katia Washington, Olivia Washington, and Denzel Washington
