Triple Crown of Acting

The Triple Crown of Acting is a term used in the American entertainment industry to describe actors who have won a competitive Academy Award, Emmy Award, and Tony Award in the acting categories, the highest awards recognized in American film, television, and theater, respectively.[1] The term "Triple Crown" is used in other competitive areas, such as the Triple Crown of Horse Racing.

Only twenty-four people, fifteen women and nine men, have achieved the Triple Crown.

Helen Hayes became the first actor to do so with her Emmy Award on February 5, 1953. Less than two months later, Thomas Mitchell became the first man to do so when he received a Tony Award on March 29, 1953. Hayes, Rita Moreno, and Viola Davis are the only Triple Crown winners in competitive acting categories who have also won a Grammy Award to complete the EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony).

Living winners of the Triple Crown of Acting are Rita Moreno, Jeremy Irons, Vanessa Redgrave, Al Pacino, Geoffrey Rush, Ellen Burstyn, Helen Mirren, Frances McDormand, Jessica Lange, and Viola Davis.

The British entertainment industry, which has links with its American counterpart through shared language and frequent cross-Atlantic production, has a Triple Crown of its own, consisting of the BAFTA Film Award, the BAFTA Television Award, and the Laurence Olivier Award.[citation needed] The eight actors who have completed the British Triple Crown in competitive acting categories are Judi Dench, Virginia McKenna, Peggy Ashcroft, Nigel Hawthorne, Julie Walters, Albert Finney, Helen Mirren, and Mark Rylance.

Only Helen Mirren has earned both the American and British Triple Crowns.

Summary

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  • The year in the Oscar, Emmy, and Tony columns indicates the year the actor first won the award
    • For the Emmy and Tony this is the year of the award ceremony, for the Oscar the year when the film was released
  • The total wins column indicates the total number of competitive Oscar, Emmy, and Tony wins
Actor Completed Years to
complete
Oscar Emmy Tony Total
wins
Ref.
Helen Hayes 1953 21 1932 1953 1947 5
Thomas Mitchell 1953 13 1940 1953 1953 3 [2]
Ingrid Bergman 1960 15 1945 1960 1947 6
Shirley Booth 1962 13 1953 1962 1949 6
Melvyn Douglas 1968 8 1964 1968 1960 4
Paul Scofield 1969 7 1967 1969 1962 3
Jack Albertson 1975 10 1969 1975 1965 4
Rita Moreno 1977 15 1962 1977 1975 4
Maureen Stapleton 1981 31 1982 1968 1951 4
Jason Robards 1988 29 1977 1988 1959 4
Jessica Tandy 1989 42 1990 1988 1948 5 [3]
Jeremy Irons 1997 13 1991 1997 1984 4 [4]
Anne Bancroft 1999 41 1963 1999 1958 4 [5]
Vanessa Redgrave 2003 25 1978 1981 2003 4 [6]
Maggie Smith 2003 33 1970 2003 1990 7 [7]
Al Pacino 2004 35 1993 2004 1969 5 [8]
Geoffrey Rush 2009 12 1997 2005 2009 3 [9]
Ellen Burstyn 2009 34 1975 2009 1975 4 [10]
Christopher Plummer 2011 38 2012 1977 1974 5 [11]
Helen Mirren 2015 19 2007 1996 2015 6 [12]
Frances McDormand 2015 18 1997 2015 2011 5 [13]
Jessica Lange 2016 33 1983 2009 2016 6 [14]
Viola Davis 2017 16 2017 2015 2001 4 [15]
Glenda Jackson 2018 47 1971 1972 2018 6 [16]

Triple Crown winners

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Years given are the years of the respective ceremonies. Performers are listed in order of completing the Triple Crown.

Helen Hayes

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American actress Helen Hayes (1900–1993) was the first performer to achieve the triple crown of acting, doing so in 1953. Hayes was a 9-time Emmy (1), 3-time Tony (2), and 2-time Oscar (2) nominee, for a total of 14 TC nominations. She won two Oscars, two Tonys and an Emmy for a total of five competitive triple crown awards. She also won a Grammy in 1977 for Best Spoken Word Recording to complete the EGOT, for competitive Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony wins. Hayes is one of only three Triple Crown winners (along with Rita Moreno and Viola Davis) to have achieved EGOT status.

  • Academy Awards:
  1. 1932: Best Actress in a Leading RoleThe Sin of Madelon Claudet
  2. 1971: Best Actress in a Supporting RoleAirport
  • Primetime Emmy Awards:
  1. 1953: Best Actress
  • Tony Awards:
  1. 1947: Best Actress in a PlayHappy Birthday
  2. 1958: Best Leading Actress in a PlayTime Remembered

Thomas Mitchell

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American actor and writer Thomas Mitchell (1892–1962) completed the triple crown in 1953, two months after Helen Hayes. He was a 3-time Emmy (1), 2-time Oscar (1), and 1-time Tony (1) nominee, for a total of six TC nominations. Mitchell won three awards.

  • Academy Awards:
  1. 1940: Best Actor in a Supporting RoleStagecoach
  • Primetime Emmy Awards:
  1. 1953: Best Actor
  • Tony Awards:
  1. 1953: Distinguished Musical ActorHazel Flagg

Ingrid Bergman

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Swedish actress Ingrid Bergman (1915–1982) completed the triple crown in 1960. She was a 7-time Oscar (3), 3-time Emmy (2), and 1-time Tony (1) nominee, for a total of 11 TC nominations. Bergman won six awards.

  • Academy Awards:
  1. 1945: Best Actress in a Leading RoleGaslight
  2. 1957: Best Actress in a Leading Role – Anastasia
  3. 1975: Best Actress in a Supporting RoleMurder on the Orient Express
  • Primetime Emmy Awards:
  1. 1960: Outstanding Single Performance by an Actress (Lead or Support)Startime (Episode: "The Turn of the Screw")
  2. 1982: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or a SpecialA Woman Called Golda
  • Tony Awards:
  1. 1947: Best Actress in a PlayJoan of Lorraine

Shirley Booth

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American actress Shirley Booth (1898–1992) completed the triple crown in 1962. She was a 4-time Emmy (2), 3-time Tony (3), and 1-time Oscar (1) nominee, for a total of eight TC nominations. Booth won six awards.

  • Academy Awards:
  1. 1953: Best Actress in a Leading RoleCome Back, Little Sheba
  • Primetime Emmy Awards:
  1. 1962: Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actress in a Series (Lead)Hazel
  2. 1963: Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actress in a Series (Lead) – Hazel
  • Tony Awards:
  1. 1949: Best Featured Actress in a PlayGoodbye, My Fancy
  2. 1950: Best Actress in a PlayCome Back, Little Sheba
  3. 1953: Distinguished Dramatic ActressThe Time of the Cuckoo

Melvyn Douglas

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American actor Melvyn Douglas (1901–1981) completed the triple crown in 1968. He was a 3-time Oscar (2), 2-time Emmy (1), and 1-time Tony (1) nominee, for a total of six TC nominations. Douglas won four awards.

  • Academy Awards:
  1. 1964: Best Actor in a Supporting RoleHud
  2. 1979: Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Being There
  • Primetime Emmy Awards:
  1. 1968: Outstanding Single Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a DramaCBS Playhouse (Episode: "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night")
  • Tony Awards:
  1. 1960: Best Leading Actor in a PlayThe Best Man

Paul Scofield

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English actor Paul Scofield (1922–2008) completed the triple crown in 1969. He was a 2-time Oscar (1), 1-time Emmy (1), and 1-time Tony (1) nominee, for a total of four TC nominations. Scofield won three awards. His seven-year completion is the fastest of any triple crown recipient.

  • Academy Awards:
  1. 1967: Best Actor in a Leading RoleA Man for All Seasons
  • Primetime Emmy Awards:
  1. 1969: Outstanding Single Performance by an Actor in a Leading RoleMale of the Species
  • Tony Awards:
  1. 1962: Best Leading Actor in a PlayA Man for All Seasons

Jack Albertson

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American actor, comedian, dancer and singer Jack Albertson (1907–1981) completed the triple crown in 1975. He was a 5-time Emmy (2), 2-time Tony (1), and 1-time Oscar (1) nominee, for a total of eight TC nominations. Albertson won four awards.

  • Academy Awards:
  1. 1969: Best Actor in a Supporting RoleThe Subject Was Roses
  • Primetime Emmy Awards:
  1. 1975: Outstanding Continuing or Single Performance by a Supporting Actor in Variety or MusicCher
  2. 1976: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy SeriesChico and the Man
  • Tony Awards:
  1. 1965: Best Featured Actor in a PlayThe Subject Was Roses

Rita Moreno

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Puerto Rican actress, dancer, and singer Rita Moreno (born 1931) completed the triple crown in 1977. She is a 6-time Emmy (2), 1-time Oscar (1), and 1-time Tony (1) nominee, for a total of eight TC nominations. Moreno has won 4 TC qualifying awards. Moreno is the first Hispanic actor to win the Triple Crown and is one of only three Triple Crown winners who have also achieved EGOT status.

  • Academy Awards:
  1. 1962: Best Actress in a Supporting RoleWest Side Story
  • Primetime Emmy Awards:
  1. 1977: Outstanding Continuing or Single Performance by a Supporting Actress in Variety or MusicThe Muppet Show (Episode: "Rita Moreno")
  2. 1978: Outstanding Lead Actress for a Single Appearance in a Comedy or Drama SeriesThe Rockford Files (Episode: "The Paper Palace")
  • Tony Awards:
  1. 1975: Best Featured Actress in a PlayThe Ritz

Maureen Stapleton

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American actress Maureen Stapleton (1925–2006) completed the triple crown in 1982. She was a 7-time Emmy (1), 6-time Tony (2), and 4-time Oscar (1) nominee, for a total of 17 nominations. Stapleton won four awards.

  • Academy Awards:
  1. 1982: Best Actress in a Supporting RoleReds
  • Primetime Emmy Awards:
  1. 1968: Outstanding Single Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a DramaAmong the Paths to Eden
  • Tony Awards:
  1. 1951: Best Featured Actress in a PlayThe Rose Tattoo
  2. 1971: Best Leading Actress in a PlayThe Gingerbread Lady

Jason Robards

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American actor Jason Robards (1922–2000) completed the triple crown in 1988. He was an 8-time Tony (1), 5-time Emmy (1), and 3-time Oscar (2) nominee, for a total of 16 TC nominations. Robards won four awards.

  • Academy Awards:
  1. 1977: Best Actor in a Supporting RoleAll the President's Men
  2. 1978: Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Julia
  • Primetime Emmy Awards:
  1. 1988: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a SpecialInherit the Wind
  • Tony Awards:
  1. 1959: Best Leading Actor in a PlayThe Disenchanted

Jessica Tandy

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British-American actress Jessica Tandy (1909–1994) completed the triple crown in 1990. She was a 5-time Tony (3), 3-time Emmy (1), and 2-time Oscar nominee (1), for a total of 10 TC nominations. Tandy won five awards.

  • Academy Awards:
  1. 1990: Best Actress in a Leading RoleDriving Miss Daisy
  • Primetime Emmy Awards:
  1. 1988: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a SpecialFoxfire
  • Tony Awards:
  1. 1947: Best Actress in a PlayA Streetcar Named Desire
  2. 1978: Best Leading Actress in a PlayThe Gin Game
  3. 1983: Best Leading Actress in a Play – Foxfire

Jeremy Irons

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English actor and activist Jeremy Irons (born 1948) completed the triple crown in 1997. He is a 3-time acting Emmy (2), 1-time Oscar (1), and 1-time Tony (1) nominee, for a total of five TC nominations. Irons has won four TC qualifying awards.

  • Academy Awards:
  1. 1991: Best Actor in a Leading RoleReversal of Fortune
  • Primetime Emmy Awards:
  1. 1997: Outstanding Voice-Over PerformanceThe Great War and the Shaping of the 20th Century
  2. 2006: Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a MovieElizabeth I
  • Tony Awards:
  1. 1984: Best Leading Actor in a PlayThe Real Thing

Note: Irons has an additional Emmy win in a non-acting category, winning the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Narrator in 2014 for Game of Lions.

Anne Bancroft

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American actress Anne Bancroft (1931–2005) completed the triple crown in 1999. She was a 6-time (1) acting Emmy, 5-time Oscar (1), and 3-time Tony (2) nominee, for a total of 14 TC nominations. Bancroft won four awards.

  • Academy Awards:
  1. 1963: Best Actress in a Leading RoleThe Miracle Worker
  • Primetime Emmy Awards:
  1. 1999: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a MovieDeep in My Heart
  • Tony Awards:
  1. 1958: Best Featured Actress in a PlayTwo for the Seesaw
  2. 1960: Best Leading Actress in a PlayThe Miracle Worker

Note: Bancroft won an additional Emmy in 1970 in the category Outstanding Variety or Musical Program – Variety and Popular Music, as the star of the special Annie, the Women in the Life of a Man.

Vanessa Redgrave

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English actress and activist Vanessa Redgrave (born 1937) completed the triple crown in 2003. She is a 6-time Oscar (1), 6-time Emmy (2), and 3-time Tony (1) nominee, for a total of 15 TC nominations. Redgrave has won four TC qualifying awards.

  • Academy Awards:
  1. 1978: Best Actress in a Supporting RoleJulia
  • Primetime Emmy Awards:
  1. 1981: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or a SpecialPlaying for Time
  2. 2000: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a MovieIf These Walls Could Talk 2
  • Tony Awards:
  1. 2003: Best Leading Actress in a PlayLong Day's Journey into Night

Maggie Smith

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English actress Maggie Smith (1934–2024) completed the triple crown in 2003. She was a 9-time Emmy (4), 6-time Oscar (2), and 3-time Tony (1) nominee, for a total of 18 TC nominations. Smith was the first and only Triple Crown winner to win seven TC qualifying awards.

  • Academy Awards:
  1. 1970: Best Actress in a Leading RoleThe Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
  2. 1979: Best Actress in a Supporting RoleCalifornia Suite
  • Primetime Emmy Awards:
  1. 2003: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a MovieMy House in Umbria
  2. 2011: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a MovieDownton Abbey
  3. 2012: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama SeriesDownton Abbey
  4. 2016: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series – Downton Abbey
  • Tony Awards:
  1. 1990: Best Leading Actress in a PlayLettice and Lovage

Al Pacino

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American actor Al Pacino (born 1940) completed the triple crown in 2004. He is a 9-time Oscar (1), 3-time Emmy (2), and 3-time Tony (2) nominee, for a total of 15 TC nominations. Pacino has won five TC qualifying awards.

  • Academy Awards:
  1. 1993: Best Actor in a Leading RoleScent of a Woman
  • Primetime Emmy Awards:
  1. 2004: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a MovieAngels in America
  2. 2011: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie – You Don't Know Jack
  • Tony Awards:
  1. 1969: Best Featured Actor in a PlayDoes a Tiger Wear a Necktie?
  2. 1977: Best Leading Actor in a PlayThe Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel

Geoffrey Rush

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Australian actor Geoffrey Rush (born 1951) completed the triple crown in 2009. He is a 4-time Oscar (1), 2-time Emmy (1), and 1-time Tony (1) nominee, for a total of seven TC nominations. Rush has won three TC qualifying awards.

  • Academy Awards:
  1. 1997: Best Actor in a Leading RoleShine
  • Primetime Emmy Awards:
  1. 2005: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a MovieThe Life and Death of Peter Sellers
  • Tony Awards:
  1. 2009: Best Leading Actor in a PlayExit the King

Ellen Burstyn

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American actress Ellen Burstyn (born 1932) completed the triple crown in 2009. She is an 8-time Emmy (2), 6-time Oscar (1), and 1-time Tony (1) nominee, for a total of 15 TC nominations. Burstyn has won four TC qualifying awards.

  • Academy Awards:
  1. 1975: Best Actress in a Leading RoleAlice Doesn't Live Here Anymore
  • Primetime Emmy Awards:
  1. 2009: Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama SeriesLaw & Order: Special Victims Unit (Episode: "Swing")
  2. 2013: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a MoviePolitical Animals
  • Tony Awards:
  1. 1975: Best Leading Actress in a PlaySame Time, Next Year

Christopher Plummer

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Canadian actor Christopher Plummer (1929–2021) completed the triple crown in 2012. He was a 7-time Emmy (2), 7-time Tony (2), and 3-time Oscar (1) nominee, for a total of 17 TC nominations. Plummer won five awards. With his Oscar win in 2012, Plummer became the oldest person to complete the Triple Crown at the age of 82.

  • Academy Awards:
  1. 2012: Best Actor in a Supporting RoleBeginners
  • Primetime Emmy Awards:
  1. 1977: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited SeriesThe Moneychangers
  2. 1994: Outstanding Voice-Over PerformanceMadeline
  • Tony Awards:
  1. 1974: Best Leading Actor in a MusicalCyrano
  2. 1997: Best Leading Actor in a PlayBarrymore

Helen Mirren

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English actor Helen Mirren (born 1945) completed the triple crown in 2015. She is an 11-time Emmy (4), 4-time Oscar (1), and 3-time Tony (1) nominee, for a total of 18 TC nominations. Mirren has won six TC qualifying awards.

  • Academy Awards:
  1. 2007: Best Actress in a Leading RoleThe Queen
  • Primetime Emmy Awards:
  1. 1996: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a SpecialPrime Suspect: The Scent of Darkness
  2. 1999: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a MovieThe Passion of Ayn Rand
  3. 2006: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie – Elizabeth I
  4. 2007: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie – Prime Suspect: The Final Act
  • Tony Awards:
  1. 2015: Best Leading Actress in a PlayThe Audience

Note: Mirren is the only person to have also won the British Triple Crown of Acting by being awarded the three equivalent honours in the British entertainment industry: a BAFTA Film Award, a BAFTA Television Award, and a Olivier Award; Also she has an additional Emmy win in a non-acting category, winning the Children's and Family Emmy Award for Outstanding Host in 2022 for Harry Potter: Hogwarts Tournament of Houses.

Frances McDormand

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American actress and producer Frances McDormand (born 1957) completed the triple crown in 2015. She is a 6-time acting Oscar (3), 2-time Tony (1), and 2-time acting Emmy (1) nominee, for a total of 10 TC nominations. McDormand has won five TC qualifying awards.

  • Academy Awards:
  1. 1997: Best Actress in a Leading RoleFargo
  2. 2018: Best Actress in a Leading Role – Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
  3. 2021: Best Actress in a Leading Role – Nomadland
  • Primetime Emmy Awards:
  1. 2015: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or a MovieOlive Kitteridge
  • Tony Awards:
  1. 2011: Best Leading Actress in a PlayGood People

Note: McDormand has two additional Emmy and Oscar wins in non-acting categories, winning the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Limited Series for executive producing Olive Kitteridge, and the Academy Award for Best Picture for producing Nomadland.

Jessica Lange

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American actress Jessica Lange (born 1949) completed the triple crown in 2016. She is a 10-time Emmy (3), 6-time Oscar (2), and 2-time Tony (1) nominee, for a total of 18 TC nominations. Lange has won six TC qualifying awards.

  • Academy Awards:
  1. 1983: Best Actress in a Supporting RoleTootsie
  2. 1995: Best Actress in a Leading RoleBlue Sky
  • Primetime Emmy Awards:
  1. 2009: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a MovieGrey Gardens
  2. 2012: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a MovieAmerican Horror Story: Murder House
  3. 2014: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie – American Horror Story: Coven
  • Tony Awards:
  1. 2016: Best Leading Actress in a PlayLong Day's Journey into Night

Viola Davis

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American actress and producer Viola Davis (born 1965) completed the triple crown in 2017.[17] She is the youngest person and the first African American to achieve the triple crown.[17][18] She is a 4-time Oscar (1), 3-time Tony (2), and 5-time Emmy (1) nominee, for a total of 12 TC nominations. Davis has won four TC qualifying awards. Davis is also one of only three Triple Crown winners who have also achieved EGOT status.

  • Academy Awards:
  1. 2017: Best Actress in a Supporting RoleFences
  • Primetime Emmy Awards:
  1. 2015: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama SeriesHow to Get Away with Murder
  • Tony Awards:
  1. 2001: Best Featured Actress in a PlayKing Hedley II
  2. 2010: Best Leading Actress in a PlayFences

Glenda Jackson

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English actress and former Member of Parliament (MP) Glenda Jackson (1936–2023) completed the triple crown in 2018. She was a 5-time Tony (1), 5-time Emmy (3), and 4-time Oscar (2) nominee, for a total of 14 TC nominations. Jackson won six awards. Her forty-eight-year completion is the longest of any triple crown recipient.

  • Academy Awards:
  1. 1971: Best Actress in a Leading RoleWomen in Love
  2. 1974: Best Actress in a Leading Role – A Touch of Class
  • Primetime Emmy Awards:
  1. 1972: Outstanding Single Performance by an Actress in a Leading RoleElizabeth R
  2. 1972: Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Dramatic SeriesElizabeth R
  • International Emmy Awards:
  1. 2020: Best Performance by an ActressElizabeth Is Missing
  • Tony Awards:
  1. 2018: Best Leading Actress in a PlayThree Tall Women

Two competitive awards

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The following people have each won two out of the three major entertainment awards that honor acting in competitive categories.[19]

Missing an Academy Award (Oscar)

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Missing an Emmy Award

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Missing a Tony Award

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Notes

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  • † – Person is deceased.
  • ◊ – Person has been nominated at least once for a competitive acting category of the missing award, but has failed to win.
  • NCA – Person won a Non-Competitive Award in this category.

^1 Won an Emmy in a non-acting category.
^2 Nominated for an Emmy in a non-acting category.
^3 Won a Daytime Emmy.
^4 Won an International Emmy.
^5 Won a Tony in a non-acting category.

Three nominations

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The following people have not won all three awards in competitive acting categories, but have received at least one nomination for each of them:

  1. Alan Alda
  2. Jane Alexander
  3. Joan Allen
  4. Judith Anderson
  5. Julie Andrews
  6. Alan Arkin
  7. Lauren Bacall
  8. Alec Baldwin
  9. Martin Balsam
  10. Antonio BanderasN/A
  11. Barbara BarrieN/A
  12. Kathy Bates
  13. Ed Begley
  14. Ralph Bellamy
  15. Annette BeningN/A
  16. Cate Blanchett
  17. Joan Blondell,N/A
  18. Charles Boyer,N/A
  19. Richard Burton
  20. Diahann Carroll
  21. Art Carney
  22. Stockard Channing
  23. Jessica Chastain
  24. Don Cheadle
  25. Patricia Clarkson
  26. Glenn Close
  27. James Coco
  28. Claudette Colbert
  29. Toni Collette
  30. Chris Cooper
  31. Gladys Cooper,N/A
  32. Tom CourtenayN/A
  33. Bryan Cranston
  34. Hume Cronyn
  35. Judi Dench
  36. Colman Domingo
  37. Adam DriverN/A
  38. Charles Durning
  39. Cynthia Erivo
  40. José Ferrer
  41. Sally Field
  42. Ralph Fiennes
  43. Albert Finney
  44. Laurence Fishburne
  45. Henry Fonda
  46. Jane Fonda
  47. Morgan Freeman
  48. Vincent Gardenia
  49. Andrew Garfield
  50. John Gielgud
  51. Jack Gilford
  52. Jackie Gleason
  53. Ruth Gordon
  54. Joel Grey
  55. Alec Guinness
  56. Tom Hanks
  57. Marcia Gay Harden
  58. Ed HarrisN/A
  59. Julie Harris
  60. Rosemary Harris
  61. Eileen Heckart
  62. Brian Tyree HenryN/A
  63. Katharine Hepburn
  64. Judd Hirsch
  65. Dustin Hoffman
  66. Philip Seymour Hoffman
  67. Hal Holbrook
  68. Ian Holm
  69. Tom Hulce
  70. William Hurt
  71. Hugh Jackman
  72. Allison Janney
  73. James Earl Jones
  74. Madeline Kahn
  75. Diane Keaton
  76. Anna KendrickN/A
  77. Kevin Kline
  78. Shirley Knight
  79. Angela Lansbury
  80. Eva Le Gallienne
  81. Margaret Leighton
  82. Jack Lemmon
  83. Laura Linney
  84. John Lithgow
  85. Alfred Lunt
  86. Walter Matthau
  87. Ian McKellen
  88. Janet McTeer
  89. Laurie Metcalf
  90. Bette Midler
  91. Paul Muni
  92. Mildred Natwick
  93. Patricia Neal
  94. Ruth NeggaN/A
  95. Kate NelliganN/A
  96. Paul Newman
  97. Lupita Nyong'o
  98. Leslie Odom Jr.
  99. Sophie Okonedo
  100. Laurence Olivier
  101. Geraldine Page
  102. Joan Plowright
  103. Sidney Poitier
  104. Jonathan Pryce
  105. Anthony Quayle
  106. Anthony Quinn
  107. Da'Vine Joy Randolph
  108. Stephen ReaN/A
  109. Lynn Redgrave,N/A
  110. Lee Remick,N/A
  111. Debbie Reynolds,N/A
  112. Beah Richards
  113. Thelma Ritter
  114. Sam Rockwell
  115. Mickey Rooney
  116. Mark Ruffalo
  117. Mark Rylance
  118. George C. Scott
  119. Michael ShannonN/A
  120. Gary Sinise
  121. Kevin Spacey
  122. Kim Stanley
  123. Beatrice Straight
  124. Meryl Streep
  125. Lily Tomlin
  126. Rip Torn
  127. Cicely Tyson
  128. Stanley Tucci
  129. Peter Ustinov
  130. Christopher Walken
  131. Sam WaterstonN/A
  132. Sigourney WeaverN/A
  133. James Whitmore
  134. Michelle Williams
  135. Mare Winningham
  136. Jeffrey Wright
  137. Catherine Zeta Jones

Notes

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† – Person is deceased.
N/A – Person has not won any of the three awards (excluding non-acting awards and non-competitive awards).

British Triple Crown

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The British entertainment industry has a Triple Crown of its own, consisting of the BAFTA Film Award, the BAFTA Television Award, and the Laurence Olivier Award, for film, television, and theatre respectively. Eight actors have completed the British Triple Crown: Judi Dench, Virginia McKenna, Peggy Ashcroft, Nigel Hawthorne, Julie Walters, Albert Finney, Helen Mirren, and Mark Rylance. Only Mirren has completed both the American and British Triple Crowns.

Other actors have won all of the awards, but not in competitive acting categories. Anthony Hopkins has BAFTAs in both categories but only an Olivier Award for "Outstanding Achievement" (he was nominated as Best Actor for the same show, but lost). Maggie Smith has several Film BAFTAs but only non-competitive awards for BAFTA Television and Olivier. There had been confusion about whether or not Ashcroft qualifies for the British Triple Crown in competitive categories because her winning the Actress of the Year in a New Play Olivier Award for Old World in the inaugural year of the Olivier Awards in 1976 had been overlooked.

Other winners include actors Alan Bennett and Kenneth Branagh, but some of their awards weren't in acting categories.

Summary

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  • The year in the BAFTA Film, BAFTA TV, and Olivier columns indicates the year the actor first won the award
  • For the BAFTA TV and Olivier this is the year of the award ceremony, for the BAFTA Film the year when the film was released
  • The total wins column indicates the total number of competitive BAFTA and Olivier wins
Actor Completed Years to
complete
BAFTA Film BAFTA TV Olivier Total
wins
Ref.
Judi Dench 1977 12 1966 1968 1977 17
Virginia McKenna 1979 24 1957 1955 1979 3
Peggy Ashcroft 1986 10 1986 1981 1976 4
Nigel Hawthorne 1996 14 1996 1981 1992 7
Julie Walters 2002 18 1984 2002 2001 7
Albert Finney 2003 43 1961 2003 1986 3
Helen Mirren 2013 21 2007 1992 2013 5 [20]
Mark Rylance 2015 21 2016 2006 1994 5

Judi Dench

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English actress Judi Dench (born 1934) completed the triple crown in 1977, becoming the first person to complete the British triple crown. She completed her second triple crown in 1986, her third triple crown in 1988, and her fourth in 2001. She is a 12-time BAFTA TV (4), 15-time BAFTA Film (6), and 15-time Olivier (7) nominee, for a total of 42 TC nominations. Dench has won seventeen awards.

  • British Academy Film Awards
  1. 1966: Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film RolesFour in the Morning
  2. 1987: Best Actress in a Supporting RoleA Room with a View
  3. 1989: Best Actress in a Supporting Role – A Handful of Dust
  4. 1998: Best Actress in a Leading RoleMrs Brown
  5. 1999: Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Shakespeare in Love
  6. 2002: Best Actress in a Leading Role – Iris
  • British Academy Television Awards
  1. 1968: Best ActressTalking to a Stranger
  2. 1982: Best Actress – Going Gently, A Fine Romance (Series 1), and The Cherry Orchard
  3. 1985: Best Light Entertainment PerformanceA Fine Romance (Series 4)
  4. 2001: Best Actress – The Last of the Blonde Bombshells
  • Laurence Olivier Awards
  1. 1977: Actress of the Year in a RevivalMacbeth
  2. 1980: Actress of the Year in a Revival – Juno and the Paycock
  3. 1983: Actress of the Year in a New PlayPack of Lies
  4. 1987: Best ActressAntony and Cleopatra
  5. 1996: Best Actress – Absolute Hell
  6. 1996: Best Actress in a MusicalA Little Night Music
  7. 2016: Best Actress in a Supporting RoleThe Winter's Tale

Note: Dench is the only actor to complete multiple triple crowns of acting, on either the American or British side, and has completed four. She is the only person to have won more than seven triple crown awards, on either the British or American side. She also holds the records (though tied) for most BAFTA TV nominations, most BAFTA Film nominations, and most BAFTA Film awards; Dench has also won a Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1999 for Shakespeare in Love and a Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Play in 1999 for Amy's View. She has also been nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards (short of completing the American triple crown).

Virginia McKenna

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British stage and screen actress, author, animal rights activist, and wildlife campaigner Virginia McKenna (born 1931) completed the triple crown in 1979. McKenna has won three awards.

  • British Academy Film Awards
  1. 1957: Best British ActressA Town Like Alice
  • British Academy Television Awards
  1. 1955: Best Actress
  • Laurence Olivier Awards
  1. 1979: Best Actress in a MusicalThe King and I

Note: McKenna has never been nominated for an Academy Award, an Emmy Award, or an Tony Award.

Peggy Ashcroft

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English actress Peggy Ashcroft (1907–1991) completed the triple crown in 1986. She won one competitive Olivier Award, two BAFTA TV Awards and one BAFTA Film Award. Ashcroft won four awards over a period of ten years.

  • British Academy Film Awards
  1. 1986: Best Actress in a Leading RoleA Passage to India
  • British Academy Television Awards
  1. 1981: Best ActressCream in My Coffee and Caught on a Train
  2. 1985: Best Actress – The Jewel in the Crown
  • Laurence Olivier Awards
  1. 1976: Actress of the Year in a New PlayOld World

Note: Ashcroft won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1985 for A Passage to India (a year before winning the BAFTA Film Award). She was also nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards, but never nominated for a Tony Award to complete the American triple crown.

Nigel Hawthorne

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English actor Nigel Hawthorne (1929–2001) completed the triple crown in 1995. He is a 5-time BAFTA TV (5), 1-time BAFTA Film (1), and 2-time Olivier (1) nominee, for a total of 8 TC nominations. Hawthorne has won seven awards.

  • British Academy Film Awards
  1. 1996: Best Actor in a Leading RoleThe Madness of King George
  • British Academy Television Awards
  1. 1982: Best Light Entertainment PerformanceYes Minister
  2. 1983: Best Light Entertainment Performance – Yes Minister
  3. 1987: Best Light Entertainment Performance – Yes, Prime Minister
  4. 1997: Best ActorThe Fragile Heart
  • Laurence Olivier Awards
  1. 1977: Best Actor in a Supporting RolePrivates on Parade
  2. 1992: Best ActorThe Madness of George III

Note: Hawthorne had also been nominated for a Academy Award for Best Actor in 1995 for The Madness of King George and won a Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Play in 1991 for Shadowlands, but never been nominated for any Emmy Award to complete the American triple crown.

Julie Walters

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English actress Julie Walters (born 1950) completed the triple crown in 2002. She is a 7-time BAFTA TV (4), 6-time BAFTA Film (2), and 2-time Olivier (1) nominee, for a total of 11 TC nominations. Walters has won seven awards. It took her eighteen years to complete the British Triple Crown.

  • British Academy Film Awards
  1. 1984: Best Actress in a Leading RoleEducating Rita
  2. 2001: Best Actress in a Supporting RoleBilly Elliot
  • British Academy Television Awards
  1. 2002: Best ActressMy Beautiful Son
  2. 2003: Best Actress – Murder
  3. 2004: Best Actress – The Canterbury Tales
  4. 2010: Best Actress – Mo
  • Laurence Olivier Awards
  1. 2001: Best ActressAll My Sons

Note: Walters has also received an honorary BAFTA in 2003 and the BAFTA Academy Fellowship Award in 2014. She was nominated for a Academy Award for Best Actress in 1984 for Educating Rita and a second nomination for Best Supporting Actress in 2001 for Billy Elliot. She is the recipient of two International Emmy Awards for Best Performance by an Actress, but she has never been nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award.

Albert Finney

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English actor Albert Finney (1936–2019) completed the triple crown in 2003. He is a 4-time BAFTA TV (1), 9-time BAFTA Film (1), and 2-time Olivier (1) nominee, for a total of 15 TC nominations. Finney has won three awards.

  • British Academy Film Awards
  1. 1961: Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film RolesSaturday Night and Sunday Morning
  • British Academy Television Awards
  1. 2003: Best ActorThe Gathering Storm
  • Laurence Olivier Awards
  1. 1986: Best ActorOrphans

Note: Finney also won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie in 2003 for The Gathering Storm and won two Tony Awards, but never won a Academy Award (after 5 nominations) to complete the American triple crown.

Helen Mirren

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English actor Helen Mirren (born 1945) completed the triple crown in 2013. She is a 6-time BAFTA TV (3), 5-time BAFTA Film (1), and 4-time Olivier (1) nominee, for a total of 15 TC nominations. Mirren has won five awards. It took her twenty-one years to complete the British Triple Crown.

  • British Academy Film Awards
  1. 2007: Best Actress in a Leading RoleThe Queen
  • British Academy Television Awards
  1. 1991: Best ActressPrime Suspect: The Scent of Darkness
  2. 1992: Best Actress – Prime Suspect 2
  3. 1993: Best Actress – Prime Suspect 3
  • Laurence Olivier Awards
  1. 2013: Best ActressThe Audience

Note: Mirren is the only person to have also won the American Triple Crown of Acting by being awarded the three equivalent honors in the American entertainment industry: winning a Academy Award, four Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Tony Award.

Mark Rylance

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British actor, playwright and theatre director Mark Rylance (born 1960) completed the triple crown in 2015. He is a 2-time BAFTA TV (2), 1-time BAFTA Film (1), and 8-time Olivier (2) nominee, for a total of 11 TC nominations. Rylance has won five awards.

  • British Academy Film Awards
  1. 2016: Best Actor in a Supporting RoleBridge of Spies
  • British Academy Television Awards
  1. 2006: Best ActorThe Government Inspector
  2. 2016: Best Leading ActorWolf Hall
  • Laurence Olivier Awards
  1. 1994: Best ActorMuch Ado About Nothing
  2. 2010: Best Actor – Jerusalem

Note: Rylance has also won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2016 for Bridge of Spies and won three Tony Awards. He has been nominated for one Primetime Emmy Award (short of completing the American triple crown).

See also

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References

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