Did You Know All these Actors Have More than One Oscar?

Plenty of famous names have won an Academy Award, but a select group of actors have taken home the statuette more than once. These performers have earned multiple Oscars across leading and supporting categories, often for roles that defined their eras and influenced generations of filmmakers. From transformative character work to quietly devastating supporting turns, their wins trace a quick history of screen acting at its highest level. Here are some standout male actors who’ve done it more than once.

Daniel Day-Lewis

Daniel Day-Lewis has three Best Actor Oscars, an unmatched feat in the category. He won for portraying Christy Brown in ‘My Left Foot’, an oil magnate in ‘There Will Be Blood’, and the U.S. president in ‘Lincoln’. Each performance is known for rigorous preparation and complete immersion into the role. His filmography is relatively lean, but the impact of those wins is outsized across modern screen acting.

Jack Nicholson

Jack Nicholson holds three acting Oscars spanning both lead and supporting roles. He earned Best Actor for ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’ and ‘As Good as It Gets’, and took Best Supporting Actor for ‘Terms of Endearment’. Nicholson’s nominations stretch across decades, reflecting a remarkably sustained career. His multiple wins underscore both his star power and his range.

Walter Brennan

Walter Brennan remains one of the few actors with three Oscars, all in the Supporting Actor category. He won for ‘Come and Get It’, ‘Kentucky’, and ‘The Westerner’. Brennan became a go-to character actor whose performances anchored many classic Westerns and dramas. His record shows how supporting roles can shape a film’s tone and texture.

Tom Hanks

Tom Hanks won back-to-back Best Actor Oscars for ‘Philadelphia’ and ‘Forrest Gump’. Those consecutive wins marked a turning point from comedy star to dramatic mainstay. Hanks has continued to collect nominations for biographical and historical roles. His pair of wins cemented him as one of the definitive leading men of his generation.

Denzel Washington

Denzel Washington has two acting Oscars across different categories. He won Best Supporting Actor for ‘Glory’ and Best Actor for ‘Training Day’. Washington’s career pairs prestige dramas with box-office hits, and the awards reflect that balance. His wins highlight both technical precision and commanding screen presence.

Anthony Hopkins

Anthony Hopkins has two Best Actor Oscars recognizing performances across a long career. He first won for ‘The Silence of the Lambs’ and later for ‘The Father’. Hopkins is known for exacting control—small shifts in voice and gesture that carry enormous weight. The two roles bookend decades of sustained excellence.

Sean Penn

Sean Penn earned two Best Actor wins for ‘Mystic River’ and ‘Milk’. The first recognized a tightly coiled portrait of grief and anger, while the second honored a compassionate biographical turn. Penn’s film choices often gravitate toward complex characters with moral and emotional layers. His pair of wins reflects that commitment.

Dustin Hoffman

Dustin Hoffman has two Best Actor Oscars for ‘Kramer vs. Kramer’ and ‘Rain Man’. These wins showcase his range from intimate domestic drama to a meticulous character study. Hoffman’s approach often emphasizes detail and behavioral nuance. The recognition mirrors a career built on distinctive, carefully observed roles.

Marlon Brando

Marlon Brando won two Best Actor Oscars for ‘On the Waterfront’ and ‘The Godfather’. His early work helped usher in a naturalistic acting style that reshaped American cinema. The later win celebrated a performance that became a cultural touchstone. Together, the awards frame a towering legacy in screen performance.

Spencer Tracy

Spencer Tracy collected two Best Actor Oscars for ‘Captains Courageous’ and ‘Boys Town’. Known for unshowy realism, Tracy brought grounded authority to a wide range of roles. His nominations continued well beyond those wins, reflecting long-term consistency. The pair of Oscars marks him as a cornerstone of classic-era acting.

Gary Cooper

Gary Cooper earned two Best Actor Oscars for ‘Sergeant York’ and ‘High Noon’. He was frequently cast as the principled everyman, a persona that translated into enduring performances. Cooper’s understated style helped define an era of Hollywood storytelling. The two wins capture both his popularity and critical respect.

Michael Caine

Michael Caine has two Oscars, both for Best Supporting Actor. He won for ‘Hannah and Her Sisters’ and ‘The Cider House Rules’, recognizing deft, generous turns that elevate ensemble films. Caine’s body of work spans dramas, thrillers, and comedies, often with memorable supporting roles. His wins spotlight the craft of making every scene count.

Christoph Waltz

Christoph Waltz won two Best Supporting Actor Oscars under the direction of Quentin Tarantino. He was honored for ‘Inglourious Basterds’ and ‘Django Unchained’. Both roles showcase intricate dialogue and a precise command of rhythm and subtext. The pair of wins marked a rapid rise to international recognition.

Gene Hackman

Gene Hackman has two acting Oscars in different categories. He won Best Actor for ‘The French Connection’ and Best Supporting Actor for ‘Unforgiven’. Hackman’s career balanced morally complex leads with formidable supporting characters. The awards reflect his versatility and enduring influence on modern screen acting.

Robert De Niro

Robert De Niro holds two acting Oscars across supporting and lead categories. He won Best Supporting Actor for ‘The Godfather Part II’ and Best Actor for ‘Raging Bull’. De Niro’s awards highlight a shift from meticulous transformation to a landmark boxing drama that became central to his legacy. The pair reflects a career defined by intensity and technical control.

Jack Lemmon

Jack Lemmon earned two Oscars across supporting and lead categories. He won Best Supporting Actor for ‘Mister Roberts’ and Best Actor for ‘Save the Tiger’. Lemmon’s accolades track a career that moved fluidly between comedy and drama. The two wins recognize both his versatility and his craftsmanship.

Fredric March

Fredric March won two Best Actor Oscars that bookend distinct phases of classic Hollywood. He was honored for ‘Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’ and ‘The Best Years of Our Lives’. March’s wins reflect both genre innovation and postwar realism. His record places him among the most decorated leading men of his era.

Anthony Quinn

Anthony Quinn earned two Best Supporting Actor Oscars. He won for ‘Viva Zapata!’ and ‘Lust for Life’, roles that showcased commanding energy within ensemble-driven narratives. Quinn’s awards helped solidify his status as a powerful character actor. The pair underscores his presence in mid-century studio filmmaking.

Jason Robards

Jason Robards collected two consecutive Best Supporting Actor Oscars. He was recognized for ‘All the President’s Men’ and ‘Julia’. The back-to-back honors captured his skill at shaping complex historical and literary material. His wins exemplify how supporting performances can anchor larger political and period dramas.

Mahershala Ali

Mahershala Ali has two Best Supporting Actor Oscars. He won for ‘Moonlight’ and ‘Green Book’, becoming one of the few actors to earn multiple supporting wins in a relatively short span. Ali’s awards signal a run of carefully curated, character-driven roles. The pair highlights his precision and quiet authority on screen.

Kevin Spacey

Kevin Spacey has two acting Oscars in different categories. He won Best Supporting Actor for ‘The Usual Suspects’ and Best Actor for ‘American Beauty’. The awards reflect a range from intricate ensemble mystery to a suburban character study. Together, the wins mark a period of significant critical recognition.

Melvyn Douglas

Melvyn Douglas earned two Oscars in the Supporting Actor category. He won for ‘Hud’ and ‘Being There’, showcasing a late-career resurgence that complemented his earlier leading-man years. Douglas built a reputation for urbane charisma and precise timing that translated seamlessly into character roles. His pair of wins underscores a long arc of adaptability across studio and New Hollywood eras.

Peter Ustinov

Peter Ustinov won two Best Supporting Actor Oscars. He was honored for ‘Spartacus’ and ‘Topkapi’, roles that balanced theatrical flair with sharply defined character work. Ustinov’s career spanned acting, writing, and directing, but his screen performances stood out for wit and control. The two awards recognize a versatile talent who could command attention without overwhelming the ensemble.

Adrien Brody

Adrien Brody has two Best Actor Oscars. He first won for ‘The Pianist’ and later added a second for ‘The Brutalist’. He became the youngest Best Actor winner with his first award and returned years later with a period drama centered on a Hungarian architect. Together, the two wins place him among a small group of men recognized twice for leading performances.

Share your favorite multiple-Oscar performances by these actors—or suggest others we missed—in the comments!