Famous People Who’ve Turned Down Major Awards or Nominations

Special Report

October 2, 2022 2:00 pm

Source: Hulton Archive / Hulton Archive via Getty Images

T.E. Lawrence (army officer; “Lawrence of Arabia”)
> Declined award or nomination: Knighthood
> Year: 1918
> Reason: The British government had betrayed the Arabs by reneging on a promise of independence

Source: Keystone / Hulton Royals Collection via Getty Images

Muhammad Ali Jinnah (politician; founder of Pakistan)
> Declined award or nomination: Knighthood
> Year: 1925
> Reason: He disliked honors and titles

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Actors Who Turned Down Iconic Roles

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Dudley Nichols (screenwriter and director)
> Declined award or nomination: Oscar for Best Screenplay
> Year: 1935
> Reason: To protest the Academy’s opposition to unions including the Screen Writers’ Guild

Source: Michael Ochs Archives / Moviepix via Getty Images

George C. Scott (actor)
> Declined award or nomination: Oscars for Best Supporting Actor and Best Actor
> Year: 1962 and 1971
> Reason: He disliked competitions that pitted actors against each other

Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

Jean-Paul Sartre (philosopher and author)
> Declined award or nomination: Nobel Prize for Literature
> Year: 1964
> Reason: He didn’t want official recognition for fear that it would limit the impact of his writing if he appeared institutional

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