At the fifth annual Primetime Emmy Awards in 1953, Helen Hayes won the Best Actress award, thereby becoming the first performer to ever achieve the Triple Crown of Acting. This past Oscar and Tony recipient had now won all three of the American entertainment industry’s most prestigious acting prizes, demonstrating remarkable talent across film, stage, and television. Over the years, 14 women and nine men have followed in her footsteps. Scroll through our photo gallery to learn which two dozen entertainers belong to this exclusive group.
To be included on this list, an individual must have won each award in a competitive acting category. This excludes, for example, James Earl Jones, who was lauded with an honorary Oscar in addition to competitive Emmys and Tonys. Also left out are artists like Mel Brooks, John Legend, and Elton John, all or some of whose wins from the three organizations were for non-acting achievements.
To be included on this list, an individual must have won each award in a competitive acting category. This excludes, for example, James Earl Jones, who was lauded with an honorary Oscar in addition to competitive Emmys and Tonys. Also left out are artists like Mel Brooks, John Legend, and Elton John, all or some of whose wins from the three organizations were for non-acting achievements.
- 4/5/2024
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
The motion picture academy has handed out Oscars for leading performances since the first ceremony in 1929. While the Best Actor prize is typically taken by a veteran, the Best Actress Oscar has tended to go to an ingenue. However, those age biases could be changing.
While a whopping 32 of the 96 Best Actress champs were in their 20s when they picked up their Oscars, the last five women to win were: 60-year-old Michelle Yeoh (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”); 45-year old Jessica Chastain (“The Eyes of Tammy Faye”); double champ Frances McDormand, 45-year-old Olivia Colman (“The Favourite”) and 50-year-old Renee Zellweger (“Judy”). Yeoh’s closest rival last year was Cate Blanchett, 53, for “Tar.” (Scroll down for the most up-to-date 2024 Oscar predictions for Best Actress.)
Besides Zellweger, the only other Best Actress champs in their 50s were both 54 when they won: Julianne Moore, who finally prevailed after four losses for “Still Alice...
While a whopping 32 of the 96 Best Actress champs were in their 20s when they picked up their Oscars, the last five women to win were: 60-year-old Michelle Yeoh (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”); 45-year old Jessica Chastain (“The Eyes of Tammy Faye”); double champ Frances McDormand, 45-year-old Olivia Colman (“The Favourite”) and 50-year-old Renee Zellweger (“Judy”). Yeoh’s closest rival last year was Cate Blanchett, 53, for “Tar.” (Scroll down for the most up-to-date 2024 Oscar predictions for Best Actress.)
Besides Zellweger, the only other Best Actress champs in their 50s were both 54 when they won: Julianne Moore, who finally prevailed after four losses for “Still Alice...
- 12/29/2023
- by Paul Sheehan and Jacob Sarkisian
- Gold Derby
In 1964 Barbra Streisand became a star when she opened the original Broadway production of “Funny Girl” as real-life actress, singer and comedian Fanny Brice. Despite rave reviews, she ended up losing the Tony for Best Actress in a Musical to Carol Channing for “Hello, Dolly!” But in 1968 Babs made her motion picture debut in a film adaptation of “Funny Girl” directed by William Wyler, reprising her role as Fanny. She went on to win the Oscar for Best Actress (famously in a tie with Katharine Hepburn for “The Lion in Winter”). In 1970 Eileen Heckart was Tony nominated for her featured performance as Mrs. Baker in “Butterflies are Free,” but lost to her co-star Blythe Danner. But in 1972 Heckart reprised her role in a film adaptation, which won her an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.
SEERay Richmond: Oprah discusses taking her ‘The Color Purple’ journey full circle following Thursday night world...
SEERay Richmond: Oprah discusses taking her ‘The Color Purple’ journey full circle following Thursday night world...
- 11/29/2023
- by Jeffrey Kare
- Gold Derby
The motion picture academy has handed out Oscars for leading performances since the first ceremony in 1929. While the Best Actor prize is typically taken by a veteran, the Best Actress Oscar has tended to go to an ingenue. However, those age biases could be changing. While a whopping 32 of the 95 Best Actress champs have been in their 20s when they picked up their Oscars, the last four women to win were Frances McDormand, 45-year-old Olivia Colman (“The Favourite”), 50-year-old Renee Zellweger (“Judy”) and 45-year old Jessica Chastain (“The Eyes of Tammy Faye”). Chastain’s closest rival last year were Colman, now 48, for “The Lost Daughter” and 47-year-old Penelope Cruz for “Parallel Mothers”. (Scroll down for the most up-to-date 2023 Oscars Best Actress predictions.)
Besides Zellweger, the only other Best Actress champs in their 50s were both 54 when they won: Julianne Moore, who finally prevailed after four losses for “Still Alice” in 2015, and theater veteran Shirley Booth,...
Besides Zellweger, the only other Best Actress champs in their 50s were both 54 when they won: Julianne Moore, who finally prevailed after four losses for “Still Alice” in 2015, and theater veteran Shirley Booth,...
- 2/6/2023
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
[This story contains spoilers from the fifth episode of Poker Face, “Time of the Monkey.”]
Irene Smothers and Joyce Harris finally brought Judith Light and S. Epatha Merkerson together.
The two screen and stage legends had admired each other for years, but they’d never crossed paths on a project. Not until they were cast as — wait for it — a pair of homicidal political radicals on Rian Johnson’s new Peacock series.
“The role came to me. They sent me the script,” Light tells The Hollywood Reporter of landing the standout part of Irene Smothers, one-half of the murderous nursing home duo who star in “Time of the Monkey,” which released Feb. 2. “The agent said, ‘Do you want to do this?’ And I said, ‘Are you kidding? Is that a question? Of course I want to do it. But I really want to make sure that it’s Epatha that I get to work with.’ That was really important to me.
Irene Smothers and Joyce Harris finally brought Judith Light and S. Epatha Merkerson together.
The two screen and stage legends had admired each other for years, but they’d never crossed paths on a project. Not until they were cast as — wait for it — a pair of homicidal political radicals on Rian Johnson’s new Peacock series.
“The role came to me. They sent me the script,” Light tells The Hollywood Reporter of landing the standout part of Irene Smothers, one-half of the murderous nursing home duo who star in “Time of the Monkey,” which released Feb. 2. “The agent said, ‘Do you want to do this?’ And I said, ‘Are you kidding? Is that a question? Of course I want to do it. But I really want to make sure that it’s Epatha that I get to work with.’ That was really important to me.
- 2/3/2023
- by Jackie Strause
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The motion picture academy has handed out Oscars for leading performances since the first ceremony in 1929. While the Best Actor prize is typically taken by a veteran, the Best Actress Oscar has tended to go to an ingenue. However, those age biases could be changing. While a whopping 32 of the 95 Best Actress champs have been in their 20s when they picked up their Oscars, the last three women to win were Frances McDormand, 45-year-old Olivia Colman (“The Favourite”), 50-year-old Renee Zellweger (“Judy”) and 45-year old Jessica Chastain (“The Eyes of Tammy Faye”). Chastain’s closest rival last year were Colman, now 48, for “The Lost Daughter” and 47-year-old Penelope Cruz for “Parallel Mothers”. (Scroll down for the most up-to-date 2023 Oscars Best Actress predictions.)
Besides Zellweger, the only other Best Actress champs in their 50s were both 54 when they won: Julianne Moore, who finally prevailed after four losses for “Still Alice” in 2015, and theater veteran Shirley Booth,...
Besides Zellweger, the only other Best Actress champs in their 50s were both 54 when they won: Julianne Moore, who finally prevailed after four losses for “Still Alice” in 2015, and theater veteran Shirley Booth,...
- 9/14/2022
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
When Shirley Booth (54) won the 1953 Best Actress Oscar for her screen debut in “Come Back, Little Sheba,” she became one of the 12 oldest champs in any acting category and the second oldest in hers after Marie Dressler. In 1962, she made history as the oldest winner of the Best Comedy Actress Emmy for her role on “Hazel” and further solidified that position when she triumphed again one year later. She starred as the titular housemaid for a total of five seasons and received a third bid in 1964 at age 65.
Booth’s final nomination for “Hazel” made her the second oldest nominee in her category up to that point, and she would continue to rank within the top five for over two decades. She now sits at 10th place, with four women over 65 having added their names to the list in the last five years.
The television academy has recognized the work...
Booth’s final nomination for “Hazel” made her the second oldest nominee in her category up to that point, and she would continue to rank within the top five for over two decades. She now sits at 10th place, with four women over 65 having added their names to the list in the last five years.
The television academy has recognized the work...
- 8/21/2022
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
When Shirley Booth (54) won the 1953 Best Actress Oscar for her screen debut in “Come Back, Little Sheba,” she became one of the 12 oldest champs in any acting category and the second oldest in hers after Marie Dressler. In 1962, she made history as the oldest winner of the Best Comedy Actress Emmy for her role on “Hazel” and further solidified that position when she triumphed again one year later. She starred as the titular housemaid for a total of five seasons and received a third bid in 1964 at age 65.
Booth’s final nomination for “Hazel” made her the second oldest nominee in her category up to that point, and she would continue to rank within the top five for over two decades. She now sits at 10th place, with four women over 65 having added their names to the list in the last five years.
The television academy has recognized the work...
Booth’s final nomination for “Hazel” made her the second oldest nominee in her category up to that point, and she would continue to rank within the top five for over two decades. She now sits at 10th place, with four women over 65 having added their names to the list in the last five years.
The television academy has recognized the work...
- 8/21/2022
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
Judging by recent winners, the Best Actress Oscar category is the only acting one in which voters do not have a clear performance length preference. Over the last decade, women with the first or second highest screen times in their lineups have won just as often as those with the first or second lowest amounts, and two wins have gone to those who have fallen in the middle. Nonetheless, since Olivia Colman triumphed for her relatively short performance in “The Favourite” in 2019, the award has only been won by actresses who cross the 80 minute and 74% marks, which seems to indicate increasing favor toward larger lead female roles.
In 2020, Renée Zellweger triumphed here for her work in “Judy,” which amounts to one hour, 27 minutes, and 29 seconds, or 74.01% of the film. She was followed last year by Frances McDormand, whose performance in “Nomadland” is six minutes and 33 seconds shorter but 1.20% longer. She...
In 2020, Renée Zellweger triumphed here for her work in “Judy,” which amounts to one hour, 27 minutes, and 29 seconds, or 74.01% of the film. She was followed last year by Frances McDormand, whose performance in “Nomadland” is six minutes and 33 seconds shorter but 1.20% longer. She...
- 3/24/2022
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
You can find strange similarities between almost any two years for Oscar prognosticating. Just days away from the 28th Screen Actors Guild Awards and three weeks out from BAFTA and Critics Choice ceremonies, there are odd correlations between this year’s crop of nominees and the ceremony that rewarded the 1952 cinematic year.
Denis Villeneuve’s omission from best director for the sci-fi drama “Dune” was the most shocking when Oscar nominations were announced. Nevertheless, the film landed 10 nominations, including best picture, adapted screenplay and every technical category, the sixth film in history to achieve this feat.
In the current Oscar projections, the Warner Bros. adaptation of the famous series is projected to win anywhere between three and eight statuettes. However, if it manages to pick up more than five, it will surpass “The Bad and the Beautiful” (1952) as the most awarded film that was not nominated for best director.
Read...
Denis Villeneuve’s omission from best director for the sci-fi drama “Dune” was the most shocking when Oscar nominations were announced. Nevertheless, the film landed 10 nominations, including best picture, adapted screenplay and every technical category, the sixth film in history to achieve this feat.
In the current Oscar projections, the Warner Bros. adaptation of the famous series is projected to win anywhere between three and eight statuettes. However, if it manages to pick up more than five, it will surpass “The Bad and the Beautiful” (1952) as the most awarded film that was not nominated for best director.
Read...
- 2/22/2022
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
A star is born — twice over. Alana Haim and Rachel Zegler have turned in breakout performances in their film debuts, “Licorice Pizza” and “West Side Story,” respectively. Now can either of them — or both — score a Best Actress Oscar nomination?
Haim’s and Zegler’s paths to knocking at the Oscars’ door are completely different. Haim was already an established, Grammy-nominated musician with her two older sisters and Haim bandmates Este and Danielle (who also appear in “Licorice Pizza” along with their parents) by the time Paul Thomas Anderson, who had directed several Haim music videos, cast her as Alana Kane in his ’70s-set tale of teenage love and infatuation. Her naturalistic performance and chemistry with Cooper Hoffman have won her critical praise and the National Board of Review Award for Best Breakthrough Performance, shared with Hoffman. Since “Licorice Pizza” first screened last month, Haim has risen to eighth place...
Haim’s and Zegler’s paths to knocking at the Oscars’ door are completely different. Haim was already an established, Grammy-nominated musician with her two older sisters and Haim bandmates Este and Danielle (who also appear in “Licorice Pizza” along with their parents) by the time Paul Thomas Anderson, who had directed several Haim music videos, cast her as Alana Kane in his ’70s-set tale of teenage love and infatuation. Her naturalistic performance and chemistry with Cooper Hoffman have won her critical praise and the National Board of Review Award for Best Breakthrough Performance, shared with Hoffman. Since “Licorice Pizza” first screened last month, Haim has risen to eighth place...
- 12/15/2021
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
As the director and producer of both “House of Gucci” and “The Last Duel,” Ridley Scott is poised to score big when the 2022 Oscar nominations are announced three months from now. Reaping double Best Picture or Best Director bids would make the 83-year-old the first to pull off either feat since Steven Soderbergh did so in 2001. Even if he ends up being left out of both lineups, he could still make history if academy voters decide to recognize the work of his two leading ladies. If Jodie Comer (“The Last Duel”) and Lady Gaga (“House of Gucci”) are both chosen to compete for Best Actress, Scott will become the fifth person to direct female leads from different films to nominations in a single year.
The first of these rare occurrences dates back to the third Oscars ceremony in 1930 when Nancy Carroll (“The Devil’s Holiday”) and Gloria Swanson (“The Trespasser...
The first of these rare occurrences dates back to the third Oscars ceremony in 1930 when Nancy Carroll (“The Devil’s Holiday”) and Gloria Swanson (“The Trespasser...
- 11/9/2021
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
Two decades ago Mary-Louise Parker won her first Tony Award for her enthralling performance in David Auburn’s “Proof.” Five Broadway appearances later, Parker is on the cusp of winning the second Tony of her career for her searing turn in Adam Rapp’s “The Sound Inside,” according to our exclusive Tony Awards predictions. “The Sound Inside” has six nominations, including Best Play.
Parker earned the best reviews of her stage career for “The Sound Inside,” topping even the rapturous notices she received for “Proof.” Back then, John Simon (New York Magazine) called Parker’s work in “Proof” “a performance of genius.” In his rave review of “The Sound Inside,” Jesse Green (New York Times) wrote, “Parker, never better in her 30-year stage career, has dug even deeper into Bella, treating each line as if it were an archaeological site; she builds her performance on artifacts, not theories.” Vinson Cunningham...
Parker earned the best reviews of her stage career for “The Sound Inside,” topping even the rapturous notices she received for “Proof.” Back then, John Simon (New York Magazine) called Parker’s work in “Proof” “a performance of genius.” In his rave review of “The Sound Inside,” Jesse Green (New York Times) wrote, “Parker, never better in her 30-year stage career, has dug even deeper into Bella, treating each line as if it were an archaeological site; she builds her performance on artifacts, not theories.” Vinson Cunningham...
- 9/25/2021
- by David Buchanan
- Gold Derby
With the long-delayed 74th Tony Awards set for Sept. 26 at the Winter Garden and streaming on Paramount + and a CBS special, let’s take a deep dive into Tony Awards history and look back at the first decade. Broadway was bristling with excitement post World War II. Young playwrights such as Tennessee Williams, Arthur Miller and William Inge breathed new life into the Great White Way. And new talents electrifying audiences included Marlon Brando, Julie Harris and Gwen Verdon. It was the perfect time for the creation of the Tony Awards in 1947. The Antoinette Perry Awards or Theatre Excellence were named after the legendary theater actress who was co-founder of the American Theatre Wing; she had died in 1946.
The first annual Tony Awards took place on April 6, 1947 at the Waldorf Astoria and was broadcast on radio on Wor and Mutual Network radio. There was no categories for best play or musical,...
The first annual Tony Awards took place on April 6, 1947 at the Waldorf Astoria and was broadcast on radio on Wor and Mutual Network radio. There was no categories for best play or musical,...
- 9/23/2021
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
Usually at the Oscars, all four acting winners hail from films that are nominated in multiple categories. After all, the voters like what they like. But on rare occurrences, an actor prevails as the only nominee from their film. This year, many of Gold Derby’s Oscar Experts predict Andra Day will do just that. The singer-songwriter is the only representative for Hulu’s “The United States vs. Billie Holiday” — that’s right, it was even snubbed in Best Song for “Tigress & Tweed.” If Day pulls off an Oscar triumph, she’d be the first since Julianne Moore (“Still Alice”) to win for a film that was otherwise ignored.
As of this writing, 7 of our 23 Experts from major media outlets think Day will prevail: Joyce Eng (Gold Derby), Jazz Tangcay (Variety), Clayton Davis (Variety), Shawn Edwards (Wdaf-tv Fox), Keith Simanton (IMDb), Sasha Stone (Awards Daily) and Peter Travers (Rolling Stone...
As of this writing, 7 of our 23 Experts from major media outlets think Day will prevail: Joyce Eng (Gold Derby), Jazz Tangcay (Variety), Clayton Davis (Variety), Shawn Edwards (Wdaf-tv Fox), Keith Simanton (IMDb), Sasha Stone (Awards Daily) and Peter Travers (Rolling Stone...
- 4/7/2021
- by Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
The Academy Awards celebrated its 25th anniversary on March 19, 1953 by being telecast for the first time in its history. Bob Hope hosted the celebration for NBC at the Rko Pantages Theater in Hollywood while Conrad Nagel had the Mc duties at the NBC International Theatre in New York. And the show captured the largest single TV audience at the time.
The Best Picture nominees were Fred Zinnemann’s thrilling Western “High Noon,” MGM’s lavish epic “Ivanhoe,” John Huston’s dazzling biopic on Toulouse Lautrec “Moulin Rouge,” John Ford’s warm hug of an Irish romantic comedy “The Quiet Man” and Cecil B. DeMille’s penultimate film as a director, “The Greatest Show on Earth.”
The surprise winner was “The Greatest Show on Earth,” which was the box office champ of the year earning $14 million domestically and $36 million worldwide. Critics were not so kind to his cotton-candy colored melodrama set...
The Best Picture nominees were Fred Zinnemann’s thrilling Western “High Noon,” MGM’s lavish epic “Ivanhoe,” John Huston’s dazzling biopic on Toulouse Lautrec “Moulin Rouge,” John Ford’s warm hug of an Irish romantic comedy “The Quiet Man” and Cecil B. DeMille’s penultimate film as a director, “The Greatest Show on Earth.”
The surprise winner was “The Greatest Show on Earth,” which was the box office champ of the year earning $14 million domestically and $36 million worldwide. Critics were not so kind to his cotton-candy colored melodrama set...
- 4/6/2021
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
If Andra Day‘s Golden Globe upset for “The United States vs. Billie Holiday” transfers to the Oscars, she will become the first performer to win Best Actress for her first film since Marlee Matlin won in 1987 for “Children of a Lesser God.” It’s a quirky group that includes Barbra Streisand (1968’s “Funny Girl”), Julie Andrews (1964’s “Mary Poppins”) and Shirley Booth.
Best Actress is kind to debut performers — Day would be the 17th nominee, just two years after the most recent one, Yalitza Aparicio for “Roma.” And the singer’s Globe win was a huge pick-me-up in her Oscar prospects after she got snubbed by the Screen Actors Guild Awards and the BAFTA longlist.
Several factors are working in Day’s favor to become the fifth member of this group. Billie Holiday’s turbulent life, previously captured in “Lady Sings the Blues” (1972), which brought Diana Ross a Best Actress nomination,...
Best Actress is kind to debut performers — Day would be the 17th nominee, just two years after the most recent one, Yalitza Aparicio for “Roma.” And the singer’s Globe win was a huge pick-me-up in her Oscar prospects after she got snubbed by the Screen Actors Guild Awards and the BAFTA longlist.
Several factors are working in Day’s favor to become the fifth member of this group. Billie Holiday’s turbulent life, previously captured in “Lady Sings the Blues” (1972), which brought Diana Ross a Best Actress nomination,...
- 3/11/2021
- by Robert Rorke
- Gold Derby
The motion picture academy has handed out Oscars for leading performances since the first ceremony in 1929. While the Best Actor prize is typically taken by a veteran, the Best Actress Oscar has tended to go to an ingenue. However, those age biases could be changing. While a whopping 32 of the 94 Best Actress champs have been in their 20s when they picked up their Oscars, the last three women to win were 60-year-old Frances McDormand, 45-year-old Olivia Colman (“The Favourite”) and 50-year-old Renee Zellweger (“Judy”). And Zellweger’s closest rival was 44-year-old Charlize Theron (“Bombshell”). (Scroll down for the most up-to-date 2021 Oscars predictions for Best Actress.)
Besides Zellweger, the only other Best Actress champs in their 50s were both 54 when they won: Julianne Moore, who finally prevailed after four losses for “Still Alice” in 2015, and theater veteran Shirley Booth, who won for reprising her Tony-winning role in 1952’s “Come Back, Little Sheba.
Besides Zellweger, the only other Best Actress champs in their 50s were both 54 when they won: Julianne Moore, who finally prevailed after four losses for “Still Alice” in 2015, and theater veteran Shirley Booth, who won for reprising her Tony-winning role in 1952’s “Come Back, Little Sheba.
- 3/6/2021
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
Viola Davis has skyrocketed to the top of our Best Actress Oscar chart for her critically acclaimed performance in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” If Davis prevails at the Oscars on April 25, she’ll be just under 4 months shy of her 56th birthday. In youth-obsessed Hollywood, that will make her the 8th oldest Best Actress winner in the 93-year history of the Academy Awards. By comparison, 12 of the Best Actor winners have been over 55.
Only two other women were in in their 50s when they collected Oscars for their leading role but they were a year younger than Davis. Shirley Booth and Julianne Moore (“Still Alice”) were each 54 when they won. Booth was the older of the two by 120 days when she added an Oscar in 1953 to go with the Tony she had taken home for creating this role.
Another Tony champ, Jessica Tandy, ranks as the oldest-ever winner of the Best Actress Oscars.
Only two other women were in in their 50s when they collected Oscars for their leading role but they were a year younger than Davis. Shirley Booth and Julianne Moore (“Still Alice”) were each 54 when they won. Booth was the older of the two by 120 days when she added an Oscar in 1953 to go with the Tony she had taken home for creating this role.
Another Tony champ, Jessica Tandy, ranks as the oldest-ever winner of the Best Actress Oscars.
- 2/1/2021
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
Academy Award-winning actress Cloris Leachman has died at the age of 94. The news was originally broken by TMZ who reported the actress passed away of natural causes on Tuesday night at her home in Encinitas, California. Leachman boasted nearly 300 credit in film and television, throughout her career, making memorable turns in “The Last Picture Show,” “Young Frankenstein,” “The Twilight Zone,” and “Raising Hope.”
Leachman was born in Des Moines, Iowa on April 30, 1926. She started acting as a teenager, and after graduating high school she enrolled at Northwestern University in its School of Education. Her classmates included fellow comics Paul Lynde and Charlotte Rae. In 1946, Leachman participated in the Miss America pageant where she placed in the top 16. She used the scholarship she won to attend the famed Actors Studio in New York City, learning under acclaimed director Elia Kazan.
It was quickly after working with Kazan that Leachman started working on Broadway,...
Leachman was born in Des Moines, Iowa on April 30, 1926. She started acting as a teenager, and after graduating high school she enrolled at Northwestern University in its School of Education. Her classmates included fellow comics Paul Lynde and Charlotte Rae. In 1946, Leachman participated in the Miss America pageant where she placed in the top 16. She used the scholarship she won to attend the famed Actors Studio in New York City, learning under acclaimed director Elia Kazan.
It was quickly after working with Kazan that Leachman started working on Broadway,...
- 1/27/2021
- by Kristen Lopez
- Indiewire
Last year we watched as Renee Zellweger followed the yellow brick road all the way to the Wizard of Oscar as Judy Garland in “Judy.” Can lightning (or a tornado) strike two years in a row? That’s surely the hope of Andra Day, looking like a strong Best Actress Oscar contender for her title role in “The United States vs. Billie Holiday.” Like Garland, Holiday rose to stardom in the late 1930s. She also had multiple marriages, faced financial woes and struggled with drugs and alcohol. The question is: can the role in this Hulu release deliver the Oscar to Day?
Before making a decision, keep in mind that the academy has a long history of recognizing actresses for portraying other actresses or entertainers. And the more drama, trauma and tragedy the better. Even raging and hysterical divas are welcome. Let’s look back at some prime and primadonna examples from Oscar’s history.
Before making a decision, keep in mind that the academy has a long history of recognizing actresses for portraying other actresses or entertainers. And the more drama, trauma and tragedy the better. Even raging and hysterical divas are welcome. Let’s look back at some prime and primadonna examples from Oscar’s history.
- 1/22/2021
- by Tariq Khan
- Gold Derby
One of the last Oscar contenders to drop this season is someone’s first film. Andra Day makes her feature film debut in “The United States vs. Billie Holiday” and could very well be the 17th big-screen newcomer to land a Best Actress Oscar nomination.
Just four people have won Best Actress for their film debuts — Shirley Booth (“Come Back, Little Sheba,” 1952), Julie Andrews (“Mary Poppins,” 1964), Barbra Streisand (“Funny Girl,” 1968) and Marlee Matlin — but 12 others scored nominations. There have been five instances in this century alone: Keisha Castle-Hughes (“Whale Rider,” 2003), Catalina Sandino Moreno (“Maria Full of Grace,” 2004), Gabourey Sidibe, Quvenzhane Wallis and most recently Yalitza Aparicio.
Day wouldn’t be an out-of-nowhere discovery like Castle-Hughes, Wallis — both of whom became the category’s youngest nominee, a record Wallis, who was 9 at the time, still holds — and Aparicio, but more in the vein of Booth, Andrews and Streisand, all of whom...
Just four people have won Best Actress for their film debuts — Shirley Booth (“Come Back, Little Sheba,” 1952), Julie Andrews (“Mary Poppins,” 1964), Barbra Streisand (“Funny Girl,” 1968) and Marlee Matlin — but 12 others scored nominations. There have been five instances in this century alone: Keisha Castle-Hughes (“Whale Rider,” 2003), Catalina Sandino Moreno (“Maria Full of Grace,” 2004), Gabourey Sidibe, Quvenzhane Wallis and most recently Yalitza Aparicio.
Day wouldn’t be an out-of-nowhere discovery like Castle-Hughes, Wallis — both of whom became the category’s youngest nominee, a record Wallis, who was 9 at the time, still holds — and Aparicio, but more in the vein of Booth, Andrews and Streisand, all of whom...
- 1/17/2021
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
Historically the Best Actress Oscar has usually been awarded to an ingenue while the Best Actor prize is typically taken by a veteran. But these age biases could be changing. While a whopping 32 of the 92 Best Actress champs have been in their 20s when they picked up their Oscars, the last two women to win were 60-year-old Frances McDormand and 45-year-old Olivia Colman (“The Favourite”). And Colman’s closest rival was Glenn Close (“The Wife”), who was hoping for her first win at age 71. (Scroll down for the most up-to-date 2020 Oscars predictions for Best Actress.)
Fifteen of the 92 Best Actress winners, including Colman, were in their 40s when they took to the stage while 34 were thirtysomething. Julianne Moore was 54 when she finally won after four losses for “Still Alice” in 2015. The only other Best Actress winner in her 50s was theater veteran Shirley Booth who won for reprising her Tony...
Fifteen of the 92 Best Actress winners, including Colman, were in their 40s when they took to the stage while 34 were thirtysomething. Julianne Moore was 54 when she finally won after four losses for “Still Alice” in 2015. The only other Best Actress winner in her 50s was theater veteran Shirley Booth who won for reprising her Tony...
- 1/11/2020
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
Renee Zellweger has skyrocketed to the top of our Best Actress Oscar chart for a critically acclaimed performance in “Judy.” She is being hailed for her nuanced portrayal of the mercurial talent that was Judy Garland. If Zellweger prevails at the Oscars next February 9, she’ll be 11 weeks shy of her 51st birthday. In youth-obsessed Hollywood, that would make her the 10th oldest Best Actress winner in the 91-year history of the Academy Awards. Zellweger would bump Shirley Maclaine, who was just two weeks from turning 50 when she won in 1984 for “Terms of Endearment,” out of the Top 10.
Only two women were in in their 50s when they collected Oscars for their leading roles. Both Shirley Booth and Julianne Moore (“Still Alice”) were 54 when they won. Booth was the older of the two by 120 days when she added an Oscar in 1953 to go with the Tony she had taken home for creating this role.
Only two women were in in their 50s when they collected Oscars for their leading roles. Both Shirley Booth and Julianne Moore (“Still Alice”) were 54 when they won. Booth was the older of the two by 120 days when she added an Oscar in 1953 to go with the Tony she had taken home for creating this role.
- 10/6/2019
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
Glenda Jackson was looking to do what no one has ever done before at the Tony Awards: win Best Actress in a Play in back-to-back years. Alas, she won’t get a chance to, as the Triple Crown champ was snubbed for her performance in “King Lear” on Tuesday.
Jackson, who prevailed last year for “Three Tall Women,” had been in first place in our Tony odds, but she was Mia on the shortlist, which, adding insult to injury, has six nominees. They are Annette Bening (“All My Sons”), Olivier winner Laura Donnelly (“The Ferryman”), Elaine May (“The Waverly Gallery”), Janet McTeer (“Bernhardt/Hamlet”), Laurie Metcalf (“Hillary and Bill”) and Heidi Schreck (“What the Constitution Means to Me”).
In hindsight, maybe we should’ve seen her snub coming. While the soon-to-be 83-year-old received stellar notices for her turn as the title character, the production itself underwhelmed critics. “King Lear” wound up with only one bid,...
Jackson, who prevailed last year for “Three Tall Women,” had been in first place in our Tony odds, but she was Mia on the shortlist, which, adding insult to injury, has six nominees. They are Annette Bening (“All My Sons”), Olivier winner Laura Donnelly (“The Ferryman”), Elaine May (“The Waverly Gallery”), Janet McTeer (“Bernhardt/Hamlet”), Laurie Metcalf (“Hillary and Bill”) and Heidi Schreck (“What the Constitution Means to Me”).
In hindsight, maybe we should’ve seen her snub coming. While the soon-to-be 83-year-old received stellar notices for her turn as the title character, the production itself underwhelmed critics. “King Lear” wound up with only one bid,...
- 5/1/2019
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
Last year, Glenda Jackson became the 24th performer to complete the Triple Crown of Acting when she won the Best Actress in a Play Tony Award for “Three Tall Women.” She can write another chapter in awards history this year by becoming the first person to win back-to-back Tonys in that category.
Jackson is the odds-on favorite to prevail for her performance as the titular character in “King Lear,” which opened Thursday on Broadway. She’d be the eighth person to win the category twice and the 11th to have multiple wins in the category. None of the previous multiple Best Actress in a Play champs triumphed in consecutive years.
See Tony winner Glenda Jackson on ignoring all of Edward Albee’s advice [Watch]
2 wins
Shirley Booth: “Come Back, Little Sheba” (1950); “The Time of the Cuckoo” (1953)
Helen Hayes: “Happy Birthday” (1947); “Time Remembered” (1958)
Margaret Leighton: “Separate Tables” (1957); “The Night of the Iguana...
Jackson is the odds-on favorite to prevail for her performance as the titular character in “King Lear,” which opened Thursday on Broadway. She’d be the eighth person to win the category twice and the 11th to have multiple wins in the category. None of the previous multiple Best Actress in a Play champs triumphed in consecutive years.
See Tony winner Glenda Jackson on ignoring all of Edward Albee’s advice [Watch]
2 wins
Shirley Booth: “Come Back, Little Sheba” (1950); “The Time of the Cuckoo” (1953)
Helen Hayes: “Happy Birthday” (1947); “Time Remembered” (1958)
Margaret Leighton: “Separate Tables” (1957); “The Night of the Iguana...
- 4/8/2019
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
After her wins at the Golden Globes and Critics’ Choice Awards, Glenn Close has skyrocketed to the top of our Best Actress Oscar chart. If she prevails on February 24, she would make history as the first woman with six losses to finally win an Academy Award for acting. And, at age 71 years and 342 days as of the ceremony date, she’d land in third place on the list of the 10 oldest Best Actress winners. Close would supplant Marie Dressler, who was just a day over 63 when she won this award at the 4th Oscars way back in 1931 for “Min and Bill.”
The only two women to win that were older than Dressler as of the date of their respective Academy Awards were: Jessica Tandy, who was 80 years and 292 days when she took home the Oscar in 1990 for “Driving Miss Daisy”; and Katharine Hepburn, who was 74 years and 321 days when she...
The only two women to win that were older than Dressler as of the date of their respective Academy Awards were: Jessica Tandy, who was 80 years and 292 days when she took home the Oscar in 1990 for “Driving Miss Daisy”; and Katharine Hepburn, who was 74 years and 321 days when she...
- 1/14/2019
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
Even though “Roma” breakout star Yalitza Aparicio was snubbed at the Golden Globes and SAG Awards, 7 of our 24 All-Star Users still think she’s on track to earn a Best Actress nomination at the 2019 Oscars, resulting in 18/1 odds. Aparicio, who had no prior acting roles before “Roma,” has received many accolades for her role of housekeeper Cleo in Alfonso Cuaron‘s semi-autobiographical film about his early life in Mexico City. But an Oscar nom would be icing on the cake.
Seea star is born: Yalitza Aparicio (‘Roma’) seeking to be latest Oscar nominee for a film debut
Gold Derby’s All-Stars, who’ve done the best at predicting past years’ Oscar nominations, compete in a league against Experts from major media outlets, website Editors who cover awards year-round and the Top 24 Users from last year. The seven All-Stars who believe Aparicio is Oscar-bound are Aleksandr Syman, Dao Truong Giang, eastwest,...
Seea star is born: Yalitza Aparicio (‘Roma’) seeking to be latest Oscar nominee for a film debut
Gold Derby’s All-Stars, who’ve done the best at predicting past years’ Oscar nominations, compete in a league against Experts from major media outlets, website Editors who cover awards year-round and the Top 24 Users from last year. The seven All-Stars who believe Aparicio is Oscar-bound are Aleksandr Syman, Dao Truong Giang, eastwest,...
- 12/28/2018
- by Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park, Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, Ang Lee’s Brokeback Mountain and Disney’s 1950 animated Cinderella are among the 25 motion pictures that have been inducted into the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry. Wednesday’s additions to the registry, now in its 30th year, boosts the archive’s overall total to 750 movies selected for heir cultural, historic and aesthetic importance to the nation’s film heritage.
The Library’s total moving-image collection is at 1.3 million pieces. Select titles from 30 years of the registry are available online in the National Screening Room.
Also making the cut today (see the full list below) is the Paul Newman-starrer Hud, musicals My Fair Lady and On the Town, James L Brooks’ Broadcast News, Alfred Hitchcock’s Rebecca, Kasi Lemmons’ 1997 indie Eve’s Bayou starring Samuel L. Jackson and the documentary Monterey Pop chronicling the seminal 1967 music festival.
In all,...
The Library’s total moving-image collection is at 1.3 million pieces. Select titles from 30 years of the registry are available online in the National Screening Room.
Also making the cut today (see the full list below) is the Paul Newman-starrer Hud, musicals My Fair Lady and On the Town, James L Brooks’ Broadcast News, Alfred Hitchcock’s Rebecca, Kasi Lemmons’ 1997 indie Eve’s Bayou starring Samuel L. Jackson and the documentary Monterey Pop chronicling the seminal 1967 music festival.
In all,...
- 12/12/2018
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
We don’t yet know how much the academy will love “A Star Is Born,” but we do know the academy loves when a star is born. It is, after all, the literal plot of “A Star Is Born,” specifically the first two versions, when Vicki Lester (Janet Gaynor [1937] and Judy Garland [1954]) wins the Best Actress Oscar. Oscar loves a new talent, a “Where the hell did you come from?” discovery, and has nominated and awarded a slew of newcomers over the years. That could continue this year if “Roma” star Yalitza Aparicio finds herself in the Best Actress lineup for her feature film debut.
Only four people have won Best Actress for their film debuts — Shirley Booth, Julie Andrews, Barbra Streisand and Marlee Matlin — but 11 more have been nominated, including four this century. They are Keisha Castle-Hughes, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Gabourey Sidibe and Quvenzhane Wallis. Two of them, Castle-Hughes and Wallis,...
Only four people have won Best Actress for their film debuts — Shirley Booth, Julie Andrews, Barbra Streisand and Marlee Matlin — but 11 more have been nominated, including four this century. They are Keisha Castle-Hughes, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Gabourey Sidibe and Quvenzhane Wallis. Two of them, Castle-Hughes and Wallis,...
- 10/31/2018
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
In March, Frances McDormand became the ninth oldest Best Actress Oscar champ at 60 years old. Come February, we could have another winner for the ages: At 71, Glenn Close (“The Wife”) would be the category’s third oldest winner.
Close is in first place, with 11/4 odds, in our predictions to finally take home a little gold man for her turn as Joan Castleman, the loyal, neglected wife of the narcissistic Joe Castleman (Jonathan Pryce), who’s about to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature. The six-time nominee is still seeking her first win, so she could definitely ride the overdue narrative on her hopefully lucky seventh nomination. Close is currently tied with Thelma Ritter and Deborah Kerr for the most losses among actresses. Obviously if she gets nominated and loses for “The Wife,” she’d be the solo holder of that dubious record.
See Glenn Close (‘The Wife’): Will 7th...
Close is in first place, with 11/4 odds, in our predictions to finally take home a little gold man for her turn as Joan Castleman, the loyal, neglected wife of the narcissistic Joe Castleman (Jonathan Pryce), who’s about to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature. The six-time nominee is still seeking her first win, so she could definitely ride the overdue narrative on her hopefully lucky seventh nomination. Close is currently tied with Thelma Ritter and Deborah Kerr for the most losses among actresses. Obviously if she gets nominated and loses for “The Wife,” she’d be the solo holder of that dubious record.
See Glenn Close (‘The Wife’): Will 7th...
- 9/26/2018
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
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