Receiving an Oscar is the pinnacle of any actor’s career. While winning is the goal, just being nominated is also an honor. Leonardo DiCaprio is a classic example of an actor who was nominated countless times before finally winning for his performance in The Return in 2016, 12 years after he was first nominated in 1994 for What’s Eating Gilbert Grabe. It can be a tense waiting game for actors who are nominated multiple times and keep losing, especially for those actors who put their energy into transforming into different characters and getting nominated back to back for stellar performances.
Saying that you are a “three-, four-, or five-time Oscar-nominated actor” is an especially desirable compliment. When these nominations come one after the other, the actor maintains relevance. Bradley Cooper’s Oscar losing streak includes him being nominated three times in a row for Silver linings Playbook, American Hustle, and American sniper from 2012 to 2014. 10 years later he is still one of the most sought-after actors, although he has yet to win Hollywood’s most coveted award. On the other hand, Seven actors from Hollywood’s Golden Age share the distinction of having four or five consecutive Oscar nominations.
7
Bette Davis
Best known for: Now, Voyager (1942), All About Eve (1950) and Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)
Bette Davis is synonymous with old Hollywood royalty. She made America fall in love with her again and again on screen, but she also made them respect her as an actress in command of her craft. This was especially true between the years 1939 to 1943, when Davis was nominated for Best Actress five consecutive times for Jezebel, Black Victory, The Letter, The Little Foxes, and Now, Traveler. These roles were very different and truly showcased Davis’ range as an actress, portraying an ailing socialite, a ruthless matriarch, and a wealthy woman caught up in a murder plot.
When she passed away in 1989 at age 81, Davis had racked up 10 Oscar nominations for acting.
Davis could have extended that number to seven consecutive nominations, but she took a hiatus in 1944 between her 1943 nomination for Now, Traveler, and his appointment in 1945 to Mr.. Unfortunately, the acclaimed actress never won again after her remarkable run of nominations in the late 1930s and early 1940s. The films that defined Bette Davis’ career over the decades and made her a legacy in American cinema and a catnip to the Academy. When she passed away in 1989 at age 81, Davis had racked up 10 Oscar nominations for acting.
6
Greer Garson
Best known for: Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939), Pride and Prejudice (1940) and Mrs. Chips (1940).
Greer Garson may not be as well-known as Davis, but she tied her fellow Hollywood legend for the most consecutive nominations at the Oscars. Garson was a big star at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, at a time when actors were hired to work exclusively for major studios. His streak of nominations began in 1942 and ended in 1946, coinciding several times with Davis’ steak. Garson’s performances in Blooms in the dust, Mrs., Madame Curie, Mrs.and Valley of Decision earned him five consecutive Academy nominations, roles as substantial as Davis’s.
Garson was equally deserving of these nominations; however, it was her role as a British housewife in Mrs. which earned the actress her first golden statue. Garson also made history with the longest acceptance speech in Oscar history at 7 minutes (via oscars.org) in 1943 at the 15th Academy Awards – she is the reason the 45-second speech rule was instituted by the Academy. Greer’s legacy endures as the fourth most nominated woman for Best Actress of all time, with seven nominations in total. However, she will always be remembered for breaking records with her “nemesis” BDavis in these five consecutive nominations.
5
Jennifer Jones
Best known for: The Song Of Bernadette (1943), Since You Went Away (1944) and The Towering Inferno (1974)
Jennifer Jones was known not only for being an incredible actress, but for her work in mental health advocacy. Her peak of popularity occurred in the 1940s, when she was nominated four consecutive times, from 1944 to 1947, for Bernadette’s Song, Since you left, Love lettersand Duel in the Sun. She broke her streak in 1948, but still ended her career with five nominations in total. Her last would be Best Actress in 1956 for Love is a splendid thing. Long after his run ended, Jones still impressed audiences by starring in the Best Picture nominee The Imposing Hell.
While Jones’ four consecutive Oscar nominations are impressive, she actually won the first time she was nominated, joining the likes of Julie Andrews, Barbra Streisand, and Lupita Nyong’o. It was her emotional performance playing a teenager who has visions of the Virgin Mary in The Song of Bernadette which won her the Best Actress trophy in 1944. Her 25th birthday also happened to be the night she won her first Oscar. It was not only the perfect birthday gift, but also a great triumph for the young actress to receive on the occasion of her first nomination.
4
Thelma Ritter
Best known for: All About Eve (1950), The Mating Season (1951) and Rear Window (1954)
It took actress Thelma Ritter just under 10 years to come shockingly close to Davis and Garson’s impressive back-to-back title during the World War II era. In the 1950s alone, specifically from 1951 to 1954, she received four consecutive nominations. His impressive performances in All About Eve, The Mating Game, With a Song in My Heart and Pickup on South Street impressed the Academy enough to continue producing nominations. Ironically, Ritter starred alongside Davis in All about Eve.
Ritter would end her career with six Oscar nominations, most of them in the Best Supporting Actress category.
Both Hollywood actresses were nominated for their showy scenes in All About Eve, with Davis competing for Best Actress and Ritter trying to secure the Best Supporting Actress trophy in 1951 (neither won). Ritter would end his career with six Oscar nominations in total, most of them in the Best Supporting Actress category. She will always be best remembered for her thick New York accent, diminutive stature, and ability to make the viewer fall in love with and root for working-class characters – quite a feat at the height of Hollywood glamour.
3
Marlon Brando
Best known for: On The Waterfront (1954), The Godfather (1972) and Apocalypse Now (1979)
Marlon Brando is the epitome of a Hollywood leading man, commanding every scene he takes part in with unparalleled gravitas. Brando may be known for his brooding charm, deep voice, and for being the dictionary definition of tall, dark, and handsome. However, he is also known for his incredible acting skills, which earned him four consecutive nominations in the 1950s. From 1952 to 1955 Brando was recognized by the Academy for his performances in A Streetcar Named Desire, Long live Zapata, Julius Caesarand By the sea.
Brando would only be nominated for another three years in 1958 to Sayonaraand it would be another 15 years before he was nominated again (and won) for his iconic role as Italian mobster Don Vito Corleone in 1973 for The Godfather. Brando also scored a second Oscar streak when he was nominated in Last tango in Paris the following year. His last Oscar nomination would only be in 1990 and the only time he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor instead of Leading for A white and dry season.
2
Elizabeth Taylor
Best known for: Suddenly Last Summer (1959), Cleopatra (1963) and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
Few actresses create the same image of Hollywood glamor as Elizabeth Taylor. She was widely known for her controversial on-screen love life and relationships that extended off-screen; she was married eight times, twice with her Cleopatra co-star Richard Burton. She is also praised for her incredible five Oscar nominations throughout her career, four of which were consecutive. From 1958 to 1961, Taylor was nominated for her roles in Raintree County, Cat on a hot tin roof, Suddenly, last summer, and Butterfield 8. His last nomination would be for his 1967 role in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Taylor actually thought her first Oscar win for Butterfield 8 it was just a sympathy award, after she publicly dealt with severe pneumonia and had a difficult tracheotomy. The iconic actress believed her performance wasn’t all that stellar or deserving and that as her fourth consecutive nomination, coupled with her health issues, the Academy recorded enough pity votes for her to step onto that stage. Regardless of whether that’s true or not, Taylor still has a string of noteworthy Oscar nominations to be proud of.
1
Al Pacino
Best known for: The Godfather (1972), Serpico (1973) and Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
Al Pacino is one of the few extremely famous old Hollywood actors who has remained popular and esteemed throughout his film appearances over the decades. However, all film critics agree that The peak of Pacino’s career was in the 1970s, when he was nominated for an Oscar for four consecutive years. From 1973 to 1976, he was nominated for his roles in The godfather, Serpico, Godfather Pt. IIand Dog Day Afternoon. Coincidentally, he played the son and successor to Brando’s character in The godfather.
Both Pacino and Brando earned Oscar nominations four times in a row – just 20 years apart. Pacino would beat Brando for the most nominations in his career, with nine in total. Most recently, he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in 2020. The Irishman. Having so many consecutive nominations is not as common now as it was in the 1940s, 1950s, 1960s and 1970s due to the talent pool being much larger. But the fact that Pacino has received so many Academy Awards over the decades shows that his career has stood the test of time.
Source: oscars.org