If there’s a Hollywood equivalent to a cinematic President’s Day, it has to be the birthday of Katharine Hepburn, who was born on May 12, 1907. The legendary actress, who passed away in June 2003, was a revered figure in the City of Stars and set a standard for every actor or actress who wants respect from their peers. Over her stunning career, Hepburn won a staggering four best actress Oscars, and to celebrate her, Variety is looking at 12 legendary thespians who may (or may not) have deserved four statues over their careers.
The Connecticut-born First Lady of Cinema showed a stunning range over her career and netted 12 nominations from the Academy Awards, all in lead actress. While many are in the early days of the Oscars, she racked up these noms between 1934 and 1982.
Her first nod and win came with her third film, Lowell Sherman’s “Morning Glory” (1933), as Eva Lovelace, the Broadway-bound dreamer. Eight more nominations followed – George Stevens’ “Alice Adams” (1935), George Kukor’s “The Philadelphia Story” (1940), Stevens’ “Woman of the Year” (1942), John Huston’s “The African Queen” (1951), David Lean’s “Summertime” (1955), Joseph Anthony’s “The Rainmaker” (1956), Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s “Suddenly, Last Summer” (1959) and Sidney Lumet’s “Long Day’s Journey Into Night” (1962).
However, her last nominations from the Academy gave her three Oscar statuettes. Her second win came as Christina Drayton in the comedy-drama classic “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” from Stanley Kramer and opposite Sidney Poitier, her husband, Spencer Tracy, and her real-life niece Katharine Houghton. Her third win came in the only tie in a female acting category in Oscar history. In what is considered to be her best performance, as the estranged Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine in Anthony Harvey’s “The Lion in Winter” (1968), she showcased all her finest techniques opposite Peter O’Toole and Anthony Hopkins.
The last win came with her portrayal of Ethel Thayer in the family drama “On Golden Pond” (1981) from Mark Rydell with Henry Fonda and Jane Fonda. Hepburn holds two records with the win, which marked the longest span between first and last nomination and between first and last win, at 48 years apart. Interestingly enough, Cate Blanchett is, to date, the only person to win an Oscar for playing a previous winner when she portrayed Hepburn in Martin Scorsese’s “The Aviator” (2004).
Winning one Oscar is difficult, so it’s even harder to say that someone should have four at this juncture. Looking upon careers that include multiple nominations — like Meryl Streep and Denzel Washington — here are 12 fantastic actors that should have four Oscars.
Check out the list of the 12 deserving thespians below.
Honorable mentions:
- Amy Adams – “Junebug” (2005), “Doubt” (2008), “The Fighter” (2010) and “Arrival” (2016)
- Tom Cruise – “Born on the Fourth of July” (1989), “Jerry Maguire” (1996), “Magnolia” (1999) and “Collateral” (2004)
- Leonardo DiCaprio – “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?” (1993), “The Departed” (2006), “The Wolf of Wall Street” (2013) and “The Revenant” (2015)
- Michelle Pfeiffer – “Dangerous Liaisons” (1988), “The Fabulous Baker Boys” (1989), “Batman Returns” (1992) and “White Oleander” (2003)
- Natalie Portman – “Léon” (1994), “Closer” (2004), “Black Swan” (2010) and “Jackie” (2016)