The iconic actor who has won the most number of Oscars
While there are multitudes of parameters by which we can judge art and cinema, the Oscars have maintained their status as the most prestigious accolades in the industry. Over the years, many talented actors have made Oscar history by breaking unimaginable records for wins and nominations.
In the entire history of the Academy Awards, only seven film stars have managed to win three or more Oscars in the acting categories. To give you an idea of the elite nature of this upper stratum, these include the likes of Jack Nicholson, Ingrid Bergman, Daniel Day-Lewis and Frances McDormand. That list is perhaps one of the best indicators of the Academy’s genuine ability to recognise talent. This year, Cate Blanchett has the opportunity to join them if she wins ‘Best Actress’ for her role in Tár.
However, to this day, one actor has maintained her reign at the top by holding the record for the most number of Oscars. That legend is none other than Hollywood’s greatest known performer, Katharine Hepburn, the star of iconic films such as Morning Glory and Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, among many others.
Hepburn picked up her first ‘Best Actress’ award for her performance in the 1933 pre-Code drama Morning Glory, where she played the role of a small-town girl who dreams of becoming a massive star on Broadway. After that, she embarked on an impressive run in the late 1960s when she picked up back-to-back Oscars for Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner and The Lion in Winter.
Despite being the actor with the most number of Oscar wins to her name, Hepburn did not believe in the institutional values that the Academy represented, making her a rebellious icon as well as one of the most decorated actors of all time. In true rebellious spirit, she did not show up to accept any of her four wins in the ‘Best Actress’ category. Hepburn once said: “As for me, prizes are nothing. My prize is my work.”
In addition to these wins, she earned multiple Oscar bids over the years, but someone else holds the record for the most number of nominations. When journalist Barbara Lovenheim asked Hepburn about her regrets, she claimed that she had many, but it is safe to say that neglecting the cultural obsession with the Academy Awards wasn’t one of them.
Lovenheim quoted Hepburn in NYCitywoman: “Regrets? Of course, I’ve had regrets. Unless you’re an absolute moron, you have regrets. Sometimes, when I go to the sea and watch the birds flying off in twos, and I drive alone, I wonder, did I make a mistake? But, then, I think, it’s my bed: I made it; I’ll lie in it. Life can be wildly tragic at times, and I’ve had my share. But whatever happens to you, you have to keep a slightly comic attitude. In the final analysis, you have got not to forget to laugh.”
Katharine Hepburn’s legacy is as strong as the Oscars itself, and we’re not sure another actor will ever be able to reach the unattainable heights she did.
