Samuel L. Jackson explains reason behind disappointed reaction after losing an Oscar

Samuel L Jackson has explained the reason behind his disappointing reaction to missing out on an Oscar.

The legendary actor has claimed an honorary Academy Award during his illustrious career, while also being nominated as best supporting actor for his role in Pulp Fiction.

Despite the nomination for the classic 1995 film, Jackson doesn't believe being recognised in that way is that big of an achievement.

This would probably explain the actor's reactions to missing out at the Oscars, and the man himself has now explained the reasoning behind that.

“We’ve been in the business long enough to know that when folks go, ‘It’s just an honour to be nominated.’ No it ain’t. It’s an honour to win,” Jackson told the Associated Press.

"You get nominated and folks go, ‘Yeah I remember that.’ Or most people forget. Generally it’s a contest you didn’t volunteer to be in. I didn’t go in there so I could flex. ‘Let me do my scene, so you can remember who I was.’”

Samuel L Jackson has received an Honorary Award at the Oscars (Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)

He continued: "They nominate you and people go, ‘What is that movie you’re nominated for? What’s the name of that thing?’ And after it’s over and people have a hard time remembering who even won."

While he may have had a nomination for Pulp Fiction, Jackson reckons he'd have another in his resume if only a movie he'd starred in hadn't edited out some of his best bits.

The flick in question is A Time To Kill - a movie that sees Jackson as a man on trial and facing the death penalty for killing two men for raping and attempting to murder his daughter.

Matthew McConaughey also stars in the movie as the lawyer defending Jackson's character, while Sandra Bullock features as a law student helping his defense.

The film may have been hugely successful, but there's scene in A Time To Kill which could have won Jackson an Oscar if only it had stayed in the movie, according to the man himself.

Samuel L. Jackson has explained his disappointing reaction (Oscars)

Speaking to Vulture, Jackson said cutting out those parts 'kept me from getting an Oscar' and that his reaction when he saw the movie had been cut was 'what the f**k'.

"My first day working on that film, I did a speech in a room with an actor and the whole f**king set was in tears when I finished," the actor said.

"I was like, Okay. I’m on the right page. That s**t is not in the movie! And I know why it’s not. Because it wasn’t my movie, and they weren’t trying to make me a star.

"There are things that I’ve done in other movies where I said, ‘Wait a minute. Why did you take that moment out of the movie?’ Because the moment, in that movie, it’s bigger than the movie."