The only three actors to win the Oscar for best actress for playing Queens

In the nearly century-long history of the Oscars, there have only been three occasions when an actress has won Best Actress for playing historical queens. Films in which a historical monarch is put in the spotlight have been a popular avenue explored repeatedly by Hollywood for decades.

Over the years, Hollywood films have retold the stories of Catherine the Great, Cleopatra, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Queen Victoria and many other times. And although this is a trend that the industry has not yet abandoned, the list of actresses who receive the highest honor for this performance is considerably short. Interestingly, there have only been three times in Oscar history that an actress has won Best Actress for playing a famous queen.

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Katharine Hepburn won an Oscar in 1968 for playing Eleanor of Aquitaine

Katharine Hepburn starred in The Lion in Winter

In one of the best films of her career, Katharine Hepburn played the majestic Eleanor of Aquitaine in the 1968 historical drama. The Lion In Winter. Directed by Anthony Harvery, the film depicts the reign of Henry II of England and his attempts to secure a successor to the throne at Christmas 1183. Hepburn starred alongside Peter O’Toole, who received his third Best Actor nomination for his portrayal. of Henry II. . The film depicts Henry and Eleanor’s tumultuous relationship and their differing plans to secure an heir to the throne.

The Lion in Winter was met with wide critical acclaim, receiving praise for its story, historical accuracy, and performances. The film received seven Oscar nominations in 1968, including Best Picture, and won three. Katharine Hepburn’s performance of Eleanor of Aquitaine was considered one of the best of her career and she won her third Academy Award for Best Actress for the role.

In a surprising moment in the 96-year history of the Oscars, Hepburn tied with Barbra Streisand for Best Actress; Streisand also won the award for her role as Fanny Brice in funny girl. This is the only time an Oscar tie has occurred. With his victory The Lion in Winter, Hepburn became the first actress to win three Best Actress awards, winning her fourth and final award in 1981. She remains the only actress to win four Best Actress awards in Oscar history.

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Helen Mirren won an Oscar in 2006 for playing Elizabeth II

Helen Mirren starred in The Queen

Helen Mirren began her stage career in 1965 playing the Egyptian queen Cleopatra in Shakespeare’s tragedy Antony and Cleopatra. She had a very successful career in film and television, before starring in in the 2006 historical drama, The Queen, where she portrayed the then Queen of England, Elizabeth II. The queen is set in 1997 and portrays Elizabeth II struggling with the consequences of Princess Diana’s death and its impact on the British royal family. As the public turns against her, Elizabeth must decide how to respond to the tragedy and realizes that her country is changing.

To prepare for her role, Helen Mirren watched archival footage of Elizabeth II and took voice training classes to accurately recreate the Queen’s speeches (via Emanuel Levi). The queen received positive reception from critics and the British royal family and is considered one of Helen Mirren’s best films. It received six Oscar nominations in 2007, with Helen Mirren winning Best Actress for her performance; in her acceptance speech she named her award “the biggest and best golden star” of your career. Mirren also won BAFTA, Golden Globe, SAG and Critics’ Choice Awards for her performance as Elizabeth II.

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Olivia Colman won an Oscar in 2018 for playing Queen Anne

Olivia Colman starred in The Favorite

The favorite was released in 2018 and covers the reign of Queen Anne, who ruled England during the 18th century. The film portrays the rivalry between cousins, Sarah Churchill (Rachel Weisz) and Abigail Hill (Emma Stone), who fight each other to become Queen Anne’s favorite. Olivia Colman portrays Anne as an unstable queen who suffers from physical and mental illnesses and, throughout the film, relies on Sarah and, later, Abigail, for support and comfort. The favorite is a film that portrays female villains, with both women using the queen as a target to achieve success.

In production since 1998, The favorite It was critically acclaimed, receiving praise for its performances, soundtrack, costumes, and historical setting. The film received numerous accolades and won the Grand Jury Prize at the 75th Venice International Film Festival. The favorite received 10 Oscar nominations in 2019, including Best Pictureand has since been considered one of the best dark comedy films ever made.

Olivia Colman won the Oscar for Best Actress for her performance as Queen Annewhich has since been considered one of the best of his career. Since then, she has received further praise for her role as Queen Elizabeth II in The crown and was nominated for an Oscar for her roles in The Father (2021) and The lost daughter (2022). Since 2019, although several actresses have won awards for playing real people, there have been no further winners in the Oscar for portraying historical queens.

Source: Emanuel Levi