Oh, the Oscars. Once, the most prestigious award ceremony in all of cinema has forever been stained by the recent controversy involving Will Smith, Chris Rock and an awkward right-hand slap (remember when the most controversial thing an Oscar winner might have done was forgetting lines?) But, before that, the Academy Awards were the ultimate accolade for actors and the industry professionals that create our favorite films.
Often a movie does so well at the Oscars that it can wind up winning several awards, and, occasionally, the actors that starred in the film can find themselves each receiving the golden statue. Let’s take a look at 8 occasions when two actors won an Oscar in the same film, shall we? We shall.
8 Jack Nicholson And Louise Fletcher (‘One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest’)
One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest is one of Jack Nicholson’s greatest films. The 1975 film was a critical and commercial hit and cleaned up at the 48th Oscar ceremony, winning all 5 major Academy Awards, becoming the second film to do so. Nicholson won Best Actor for his portrayal of Randall McMurphy, but he would share the honor with Louise Fletcher, who won Best Actress for her role as Nurse Ratched. Nicholson was off to the races following this film, and both he and Fletcher walked away with the gold that night.
7 John Voight And Jane Fonda (‘Coming Home’)
1978’s Coming Home featured John Voight and Jane Fonda and was the winner of 3 Academy Awards at the 51st Academy Awards ceremony. Voight would end up winning the Oscar for Best Actor, while Fonda would win the Best Actress Oscar. The romantic war drama would also be nominated 6 times and receive much critical acclaim.
6 Dustin Hoffman And Meryl Streep (‘Kramer Vs Kramer’)
Kramer Vs Kramer was the Oscar darling of 1979. The legal drama was a giant commercial as well as critical success, grossing over $100 million, becoming the highest-grossing film of that year. The 52nd Academy Awards would honor the film with 5 Awards, among them, both Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep won for Best Actor (Hoffman) and Best Supporting Actress (Streep) respectively. The film is not without its share of controversy, however, as it has been widely reported that Hoffman harassed Streep during the making of the movie. At any rate, after their respective wins, It's easy to say that Hoffman and Streep’s careers seemed to do alright.
5 Anthony Hopkins And Jodie Foster (‘The Silence Of The Lambs’)
1991 introduced the world to many things: Nirvana’s Nevermind, the launching of the Hubble Space Telescope, the end of the Soviet Union, and the movie adaptation of Thomas Harris’ The Silence of the Lambs. Sir Anthony Hopkins found himself on the receiving end of the golden statue, winning Best Actor for his portrayal of the cannibalistic, homicidal psychiatrist Dr. Hannibal Lecter. Joining Hopkins was Jodie Foster (who has seemingly avoided the supposed “Oscar curse”), taking home the Oscar for Best Actress. The American Film Institute ranked the movie the fifth-greatest and most influential thrillers of all time and gave the world of cinema one of the greatest hero-villain pairings to date.
4 Jack Nicholson And Helen Hunt (‘As Good As It Gets’)
1997’s As Good As It Gets was the vehicle that landed Jack Nicholson the Oscar for Best Actor for his role as novelist Melvin Udall. Helen Hunt would join her co-star, winning the Academy Award for Best Actress. The film was nominated for Best Picture, but lost to Titanic. Oh, and the director was James L. Brooks… Yes, The Simpsons' James L. Brooks.
3 Sean Penn And Tim Robbins (‘Mystic River’)
The 2003 psychological mystery film Mystic River was nominated for 6 Oscars at the 76th Academy Awards. The film would win two out of the three, seeing the coveted awards land in the hands of both Sean Penn for Best Actor and Tim Robbins for Best Supporting Actor. Marcia Gay Harden was also nominated for Best Supporting Actress, but the honor would not fall her way, with Rene Zellweger winning the golden statue that year.
2 Hilary Swank And Morgan Freeman (‘Million Dollar Baby’)
The Clint Eastwood-directed boxing drama Million Dollar Baby starring Hilary Swank, Clint Eastwood and Morgan Freeman was the winner of 4 Academy Awards at the 77th Academy Awards in 2005. Two of those went to Hilary Swank and Morgan Freeman for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actor, respectively. Clint Eastwood would find himself the recipient of the Oscar for Best Director as well, but we’ll save that for another list.
1 Frances McDormand And Sam Rockwell (‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri’)
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (the title that just rolls right off the tongue), saw its actors walk away with the Oscars for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actor, the recipients of which were Frances McDormand for her role as Mildred Hayes and Sam Rockwell for his portrayal of Jason Dixon. The 2017 crime drama was received positively and did respectively at the box office, generating $160 million for its trouble.
