Now that the dust from last week’s Oscar nominations announcement has settled a bit, I thought I’d comb through the lists and find some interesting Read the full post.
Jan 27
2009
07:24 PM ET
Random Oscar trivia!
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Mark, no problem.
Mark & Jessica
What actress has the longest stretch between nominations (Lead or supporting…does not matter), but also was nominated for these films back to back. Let me clarify the film in which the actress was first nominated and the film in which the actress received her second nomination were films she made one after the other.
Hey t.g., just to make sure I understand the question correctly: the actress made a film that got her an Oscar nomination, then toook a long break from acting (e.g. to raise a family, or persue another career, or marry Prince Rainier of Monaco) then was nominated again for her return film?
That is correct. Sorry if it was confusing.
My guess would be Piper Laurie: I can’t recall her making any films after her Best Actress nomination in 1961 for “The Hustler” until 1976, when she was nominated for “Carrie”.
That is correct. Piper Laurie did not make any films between the Hustler and Carrie. She would go on to receive a third nomination in 1986 for Children of a Lesser god.
Mark and t.g.,
I have another: how many actors/actresses have received oscars for portraying a real person who was still alive at the time of their oscar win? And…who were they?
Wow! There were a lot more than I though there’d be. I’m glad you just asked for winners, and not all the nominees!
Here are my guesses: Helen Mirren in 2006, Reese Witherspoon in 2005, Chris Cooper in 2002, Jennifer Connelly in 2001, Julia Roberts in 2000, Geoffrey Rush in 1996, Susan Sarandon in 1995, Jeremy Irons in 1990, Dr. Hiang S. Ngor in 1984, Sissy Spacek in 1980, Robert De Niro in 1980, Jason Robards in 1976, Patty Duke in 1962 and Gary Cooper in 1941 (I’d like you to note that for this one I’m broadening my knowledge into the forties. See how you’re expanding my horizons!)If you could let me know how many I’m missing, I’ll rack my brains out for more.
Mark,
You’ve got quite a few of them…Reese Witherspoon is not one, and, you are missing two more.
The two remaining are Spencer Tracy in Boys Town and Joanne Woodward in The Three Faces of Eve. I Think???
t.g.
spencer tracy is correct…i wasn’t counting joanne woodward because her portrayal was not specifically of chris costner sizemore, but of a character based on her. there is still one more.
There are only two options left, but I’m not sure if the real people were alive when the award was given. Here goes, Mary Steenburgen in Melvin and Howard or James Cagney in Yankee Doodle Dandy. One of these has to be right.
I was wondering about James Cagney too. According to IMDB, he died in November 1942, and Cagney would have won the Oscar in the spring of 1943, so that’s why I didn’t think he qualified. It’s similar to 2004 with Jamie Foxx in “Ray”.
Mark and t.g.,
James Cagney doesn’t count. I hadn’t thought about Mary Steenburgen as Lynda Dummar, and I can’t find anything substantial about Lynda Dummar except that she was alive when Mary played her. Whether or not she was alive when Mary won is beyond me, but Bonnie and Melvin are still alive, so I would think so. The last one I was thinking of was Jim Broadbent as John Bayley in Iris.
alexcub,
finch was, in fact, posthumously nominated.