Samuel L. Jackson says wife a tough critic

LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Samuel L. Jackson's wife wasn't always his biggest fan.

The actor received a lifetime achievement award at the 23rd annual American Cinematheque honors Monday night, and he told CNN that some of the harshest criticism he ever heard came from his wife of 27 years, actress LaTanya Richardson, who attended the event at his side.

Asked if he'd ever pondered quitting because of what someone said, Jackson, 59, pointed to his wife and said that Richardson almost pushed him in that direction. "She told me, 'You can't do this. You're a bloodless actor,' [she said]."

Richardson quickly corrected her husband. Watch the two go at it »

"I never said you couldn't do it. No, I didn't. I said you had to ..."

" '... because you know how to say the lines the right way and you know the right facial expressions, but there's no emotion behind it,' " Jackson continued, echoing what he must have heard many years ago.

Then, he added, "And I had to find that, and it actually happened to be true."

So was Richardson wrong?

"No, I wasn't wrong. He found that," she said.

"She was right about that," Jackson said.

"He kicked it into gear," Richardson continued.

The two of them laughed. "How 'bout that?" Jackson said.

Among the dignitaries honoring Jackson were George Lucas, Denzel Washington and Sharon Stone.

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