And the Award Goes to…: Actors With the Most Oscars

The Academy Award, aka the Oscar, is perhaps the most coveted award in the world. Ever since its inception in 1929, the golden statue has been symbolizing excellence and achievement. The prestigious awards are presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The award winners are voted by an acclaimed panel of judges who have made noteworthy contributions to the industry. For almost a century now, the Oscars have been gracing the hands of immensely talented people. However, this does not mean that those who do not win the Oscars are not talented. Of course, they have their own specialties. Nevertheless, everyone in showbiz aspires to win at least one Oscar. Even getting nominated for it is a big deal. Very few win the coveted award. Out of them, only the rarest win it multiple times.

Let us have a look at those extraordinary personalities who have managed to bag an Oscar not once but multiple times.

Katherine Hepburn

Record: 4 Best Actress Awards

Katherine Hepburn was a legendary Hollywood actress. Even today, she is known for her rebellious spirit and fiery independence. She has become a role model for free-spirited and strong-willed ladies. Hepburn is one of those rare women who enjoyed a long career as a leading lady for over 60 years. The American Film Institute has named her the greatest actress of classic Hollywood Cinema. It is no wonder that she is the one who still holds the record of winning the most numbers of Oscars to date. Out of 12 nominations, she has won 4 times. She was presented with the coveted award for her performances in Morning Glory (1934), Guess Who’s Coming Dinner (1968), The Lion in Winter (1969), and On Golden Pond (1982).

Frances McDormand

Record: 3 Best Actress Awards & 1 Best Picture Award

Frances McDormand has given a number of stellar performances over the years. She is one of the few actors who won an Oscar in categories unrelated to acting. In addition to 3 Best Actress Awards, she won an Oscar for Best Picture for her role as a producer in Nomadland. Her first Academy Award was won in 1997. She won it in the category of Best Actress for Fargo. Since then, there was no stopping her. She was nominated seven times and bagged two more Best Actress Awards for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, and Nomadland.

Meryl Streep

Record: 2 Best Actress Awards & 1 Best Supporting Actress Award  

Meryl Streep is hailed as the best actress of her generation by many around the world. The versatile actress has won over 200 awards, including a number of Tonys and Grammys. Presently, with her 21 nominations, she is the record holder for having the most numbers of Oscar nominations. This comes as no wonder as she has given us some memorable roles in iconic films like The Devil Wears Prada and Mamma Mia. To date, Streep had won a total of 3 Academy Awards. She won the Best Supporting Actress Award for her role in Kramer V Kramer. Her two best Actress Awards were for Sophie’s Choice and The Iron Lady.

Jack Nicholson

Record: 3 Best Actor Awards

We all know Jack Nicholson as the Joker from Tim Burton’s Batman (1989). His terrific portrayal as Jack Torrence in The Shining is pretty memorable as well. It is pretty evident that Nicholson is a wonderful actor. In fact, with his 12 Academy Award nominations, he is the most nominated for the Oscars among male actors. He is the proud recipient of 3 Best Actor Awards. His first win was in 1975 for his role in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. He followed it up with the Best Supporting Actor Award for Terms of Endearment. Nicholson’s second Best Actor Award was awarded in 1998 for As Good As It Gets.

Ingrid Bergman

Record: 2 Best Actress Awards & 1 Best Supporting Actress Award

I have never met a film enthusiast who has not watched Casablanca. Ingrid Bergman will forever be remembered for her nuanced performance as Ilsa in the iconic 1942 movie. Astoundingly, she did not win an Oscar for Casablanca. Out of her eight Academy Award nominations, she won the Best Actress Award for the 1944 film, Gaslight and for her role as Anastasia Nikolaevna in the movie, Anastasia (1956). She managed to stand out in the ensemble cast of 1974’s Murder in the Orient Express, and win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.

Daniel Day-Lewis

Record: 3 Best Actor Awards

Daniel Day-Lewis is an extremely dedicated actor. His penchant for method acting has made sure that he seldom breaks character while working in movies. Day-Lewis is very selective in his choice of movies. Out of his 6 nominations, he has won 3 Best Actor Oscars. His first win was for My Left Foot. In this 1990 biographical film, Day-Lewis played the role of Christy Brown, an Irish artist and writer with cerebral palsy. Day-Lewis was so in character that he had to be pushed around in a wheelchair and fed. In 2008, he begged the Academy Award for There Will Be Blood. He went on to win a third Oscar for his 2012 film, Lincoln.

Walter Brennan

Record: 3 Best Supporting Actor Awards

Walter Brennan is perhaps the most underrated Oscar winner. This talented and memorable actor from the yesteryears of Hollywood has given some amazing performances. Out of his 4 nominations in the Best Supporting Actor category, he has won three times. He won Oscars for his roles in Come and Get It (1936), Kentucky (1938), and The Westerner (1940).

Conclusion

Every year, billions of people tune in to watch the grandiose Academy Awards Ceremony. We watch with wonder as world-renowned celebrities don the most stylish clothes and walk down the red carpet. We pray for our favorites to win the highest award in the entertainment world. We keep our fingers crossed and wait with bated breath as the winners for each category are announced. We jump in joy when our guy wins or sigh when the one we want to win does not get the award. Nevertheless, we wait for the coming year in order to start the process all over again.

Do comment and let me know who you are rooting for in the upcoming Oscars.

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