Winning anAcademy Awardis the highest honor any actor can receive. In fact, it’s an honor just to be nominated. Some actors spend years chasing anOscar, and finally get the recognition they deserve later in their careers. Some are lucky enough to be awarded for their breakout performances, with a lengthy career ahead of them.
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It’s inevitable that with so many talented people in Hollywood, not everyone will earn an Oscar in their lifetime. However, there’s a select group of actors who can say they have accomplished the tremendous feat of winning not one, but multiple Academy Awards, in both leading andsupporting categories.Katharine Hepburncurrently holds the record with four wins, but a number of today’s stars are also in her company.
Mahershala Ali (2 Wins)
The rise ofMahershala Aliis impressive to say the least. An actor who has been on the scene for many years, Ali received recognition for supporting roles in film and television, such asThe Hunger Gamesseries,House of CardsandLuke Cage.
It was his turn as kind-hearted drug dealer Juan inMoonlightthat earned the actor his first Best Supporting Actor nomination and win in 2017. Stunningly, he won the same Oscar two years later in 2019 for his performance as real-life pianistDon ShirleyinGreen Book.
Frances McDormand (3 Wins)
Frances McDormandis one of Hollywood’s most admired stars. Praised for her quirkiness, down to earth persona, and ability to completely disappear into the character she’s playing, she’s a bonafide legend.
The Academy would happen to agree, as McDormand has won Best Lead Actress three times - sharing that honor with only Katharine Hepburn. She first won in 1997 as police chief Marge inFargo, then in 2018 as broken mother Mildred inThree Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, and finally in 2021 as van dweller Fern inNomadland.
Tom Hanks (2 Wins)
Tom Hanks, also known as America’s sweetheart, is a cultural icon. From Woody, toMister RogersandWalt Disney, Hanks has played everything and everyone. Whether it’s a tense thriller likeCaptain Phillipsor an 80s comedy likeSplash, he can do it all.
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The actor won two Oscars for Best Lead Actor back-to-back in 1994 and 1995. The first was for his portrayal of real-life AIDS victim and lawyerAndrew BeckettinPhiladelphia, and the second was for his beloved and endearing performance in the classicForrest Gump.
Denzel Washington (2 Wins)
One of the most critically acclaimed actors of this generation,Denzel Washingtonis a force to be reckoned with. The actor never fails to deliver a knockout performance, no matter the project, and his recent venture into directing has been very promising.
Washington has been nominated for a whopping nine Oscars, and won two. The first was in 1990 for Best Supporting Actor inGlory, one of his earlier roles, and the second in 2002 for Best Lead Actor as a corrupt narcotics detective inTraining Day.
Daniel Day-Lewis (3 Wins)
When it comes to acting titans, there is no one bigger and better thanDaniel Day-Lewis. While the actor has been quiet for the last few years, his filmography is full of masterclass performances that were often the result ofintense method acting techniques.
Day-Lewis has won Best Lead Actor three times over the course of thirteen years. The first was in 1990 for portraying painterChristy BrowninMy Left Foot, the second in 2008 forPaul Thomas Anderson’s acclaimedThere Will Be Blood, and the third in 2013 for presidential biopicLincoln.
Meryl Streep (3 Wins)
There’s no one The Academy loves more thanMeryl Streep. The three-time winner is the most nominated actress of all time, with 21 nominations in total. No one has come close to that record. As Cameron Tucker once said inModern Family, “Meryl Streep could play Batman and be the right choice.”
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Streep won her first Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in 1980 forKramer vs. Kramer. Three years later in 1983, she won Best Lead Actress forSophie’s Choice. In 2012, she won the same award for playingMargaret ThatcherinThe Iron Lady.
Cate Blanchett (2 Wins)
Australian darlingCate Blanchettmade her first big screen impact in 1998’sElizabeth. Since then, she has become one of Hollywood’s most versatile and reliable actors, playing everyone from Thor’s villainous sister Hela toBob Dylan.
Blanchett won her first Oscar in 2005 for Best Supporting Actress inMartin Scorsese’sThe Aviator. In a funny coincidence, she played Katharine Hepburn in the film. She then won Best Lead Actress in 2014 for her role inBlue Jasmine,and in her acceptance called for more lead roles for women.
Anthony Hopkins (2 Wins)
Whether it’s on screen, stage, or even TikTok, SirAnthony Hopkinsalways manages to completely blow audiences away. He is a true thespian. Hopkins won his first Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in 1992 for hischilling performance as Hannibal LecterinThe Silence of the Lambs.
He was only in the film for 24 minutes, but cemented the character as one of cinema’s most terrifying villains. In an upset, Hopkins won Best Lead Actor in 2021 forThe Father, but it’s not that shocking when you realize it’s one of the best performances of his career.
Jodie Foster (2 Wins)
Jodie Fosterbegan acting at a considerably young age, with her major breakthrough role as Iris inTaxi Driver. Since then, she has produced an incredible body of work in both acting and directing. Foster won her first Academy Award aged 26, for Best Lead Actress inThe Accused, the true story of a woman who suffers a brutal sexual attack.
Her second Oscar came in 1992 for Best Lead Actress inThe Silence of the Lambsas fierce detective Clarice. She won that night alongside co-star Anthony Hopkins, the two absolutely riveting on screen together.
Renée Zellweger (2 Wins)
Renée Zellwegeris an actress who has done it all. From making us laugh ourselves silly inBridget Jones’s Diary, to melting our hearts inJerry Maguire, she has always been an audience favorite.
Zellweger won her first Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in 2004 for her role as Ruby, a feisty country woman inCold Mountain. After stepping out of the spotlight for a little while, she came back for Oscars glory in 2020, winning Best Lead Actress for her transformative portrayal ofJudy Garlandin biopicJudy.
