For any movie, the cast is crucial, and actors in both leading and supporting roles contribute significantly to its success. To recognize the outstanding performances of supporting actors, film awards present special honors, with the most prestigious being the “Oscar.” However, determining the best among the best is a challenge, as only one actor and actress receive this award each year.
Throughout the history of cinema, only ten individuals have received the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor/Actress more than once: eight men and two women. Furthermore, only one actor has won it more than twice.
Anthony Quinn
The Mexican-American actor received two Oscars for his roles in “Viva Zapata!” (1952) and “Lust for Life” (1956). The film “Zorba the Greek” (1964), in which Quinn played the lead role, became Greece’s highest-grossing film.
Shelley Winters
The first woman to win two Oscars for Best Supporting Actress (“The Diary of Anne Frank,” 1959, and “A Patch of Blue,” 1965).
Melvyn Douglas
The American actor received his two Oscars with a considerable time gap: the first for “Hud” (1963) and the second for “Being There” (1979).
Jason Robards
Jason is the only actor in history to win this award two years in a row, for the films “All the President’s Men” (1976) and “Julia” (1977).
Dianne Wiest
The actress received two Oscars for her roles in Woody Allen’s films: “Hannah and Her Sisters” (1986) and “Bullets over Broadway” (1994).
Michael Caine
The British actor won two Oscars for the films “Hannah and Her Sisters” (1986) and “The Cider House Rules” (1999). Like Jack Nicholson, he is an actor nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor (leading and supporting) in four different decades (1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 2000s).
Christoph Waltz
The Austrian actor is best known for his role as SS Standartenführer Hans Landa in “Inglourious Basterds” (2009), for which he received his first Oscar. Continuing his collaboration with Quentin Tarantino, he starred in “Django Unchained” (2012), earning him his second Academy Award.
Mahershala Ali
The American actor won two Oscars two years apart: the first for his role in “Moonlight” (2016) and the second for “Green Book” (2018).
Walter Brennan
The only actor in the history of the award to receive three Oscars for Best Supporting Actor, with a relatively short time span: “Come and Get It” (1936), “Kentucky” (1938), and “The Westerner” (1940).
