There is no award more prestigious and more coveted in Hollywood than the Oscar. Of course, big Oscars like Best Picture or one of the four Best Acting awards are the most intensely chased prizes in the film industry, butanyOscar will do, really. Nearly 1,400 feature films have won an Academy Award at some point during the ceremony’s 96-year history; and, as such, this means that many actors have starred in multiple Oscar-winning films. There are, however,only seven actors who have starred in at least 12 Oscar-winning films—an honor that’s as big for them as it was in its time for the winners of those Oscars.
From Classical Hollywood stars who have already passed away, like the legendarySpencer Tracy, to modern actors who could very well keep racking up numbers in the category of Oscar-winning movies that they’ve appeared in, like the always-fantasticRalph Fiennes, these actors are perennial presences in Oscar-winning movies. This is a stat that isn’t often looked at but still gives a pretty cool idea of wich faces Oscar completionists see the most on their journey to watch every single feature film that’s ever received a nomination. It’s a long journey, but at least it has Ralph Fiennes in it.
7William Holden
Starred in: 12 Oscar winners
William Holdenstarted appearing on the big screen in 1939. From there, he just kept going up in popularity and acclaim, ultimately becoming one of the biggest box office draws in the 1950s. Versatile, subtle, and incredibly hard-working, Holden chameleonically transformed into whatever a role demanded of him to the nth degree. He could be tough, seductive, or funny, but no matter the situation, he was always memorable. Holden only won one of the three Oscars he was nominated for, Best Actor award forStalag 17, one ofthe most underrated war movies ever.
The actor also starred in plenty of other Oscar winners, like the seminal satireNetwork, theBilly WilderclassicSabrina, and the noir iconSunset Boulevard(which may just be his best performance, for which he received his first Oscar nomination). Holden’s career was cut short when he passed away at age 63 from a terrible head injury. It’s pretty reasonable to say thathe would likely have starred in at least a few more Oscar winners had this tragedy not occurred— but his legacy lives on as one of the strongest of any thespian of his generation.
6Spencer Tracy
Throughout the history of Hollywood’s Golden Age, where very theatrical qualities of acting were valued, there were very few performers as human and natural as Spencer Tracy. He was known as highly professional among his peers, which translated on the screen into terrifically endearing and varied performances that showed just how much admirable range he had. Tracy was the first—and, for a long time, the only—actor to win two back-to-back Oscars forCaptains Courageousin 1938 and forBoys Townin 1939.
These two definitely weren’t his best performances—in fact, they may just be theweakest Best Actor-winning performances of the ’30s—but that just goes to show how many exceptional performances Tracy gave throughout his career, particularly in Oscar-winning films. Tracy starred in 12 Oscar-winning movies, including those for which he himself was nominated, likeGuess Who’s Coming to Dinner, and those for which he wasn’t, likeIt’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. Tracy hadone of the strongest filmographies of any actor from his time, which cements him as one of the biggest and most important Hollywood legends in history.
Captains Courageous
5Gregory Peck
Starred in: 12 Oscar Winners
Another Hollywood legend, star of some of the Golden Age’s best movies,Gregory Peckappeared in many exceptional movies, a decent number of which received the Academy’s love. He was an entirely professional, always sharp-looking, gently speaking embodiment of American values, which audiences from the ’40s to the ’70s absolutely adored. Surprisingly, he only ever won one Oscar himself. Unsurprisingly, it was for his best and most popular performance as the upstanding lawyer Atticus Finch inTo Kill a Mockingbird.
Peck loved doing all sorts of genres, from rom-coms to courtroom dramas, resulting inone of the most exquisitely varied bodies of work of any actorof his stature from that era. Some other of the Oscar-winning films he starred in include the iconicRoman Holidayand the phenomenalGentleman’s Agreement. It’s no wonder how he became one of the biggest stars of his time. Modest yet imposing and prolific yet careful to pick projects that would age well, Peck is a legend of the big screen that’s guaranteed to be remembered fondly for many years to come.
To Kill A Mockingbird
4Harry Davenport
The legendaryBette Davisonce called Harry Davenportthe greatest character actor of all time. Not nearly as many people know his name as one might initially assume while looking at his stacked filmography, and that’s a fact that really ought to change. Davenport was a veteran stage actor by the time he made the jump to motion pictures, which made him overqualified (in a very positive sense) for the grandfather, doctor, judge, and otherwise character types that he usually played. He was never nominated for any Oscars, but his work speaks for itself.
Nowadays, especially considering his extensive body of work, it’s not just safe but necessary to call Davenport one ofthe most underrated character actorsof his era. He’s a tragically underappreciated part of Oscar-winning movies likeYou Can’t Take It With You, the 1949 version ofLittle Women, and, of course, what might be his most recognizable role ever: Dr. Meade inGone With the Wind, arguably the biggest film of Hollywood’s Golden Age.Davenport starred in twelve Oscar-winning movies, which is quiteimpressive for an actor not many might be familiar with.
Gone with the Wind
3Mickey Rooney
MGM had a great number of huge stars under contract during the Golden Age, including two of the biggest young stars in Hollywood history:Judy Garlandand the hilariousMickey Rooney, who would go on to become one ofthe biggest classic comedy movie actorsever. None other thanMarlon Brando once said, “he could do anything,” thanks to his ability to not just get huge laughs out of the audience while delivering surprisingly strong dramatic work. He was nominated for four competitive Oscars throughout his career but didn’t win any of them.
Rooney appeared in all manner of Oscar-winning films, from comedies likeBreakfast at Tiffany’sto dramas likeThe Human Comedy.
Proving his incredible range and the exquisite variety of his work, Rooney appeared in all manner of Oscar-winning films, from comedies likeBreakfast at Tiffany’sto dramas likeThe Human Comedyto modern family films like 2011’sThe Muppets. His career spanned over eight decades, going from the silent era of cinema to the 21st century, and he never stopped being his consistently talented self.Few American actors have been as historic, influential, successful, and acclaimed as the great Mickey Rooney.
2Ralph Fiennes
Has starred in: 13 Oscar winners
While the vast majority of actors who have starred in Oscar-winning movies have done so in only 12 or fewer winners,Ralph Fiennes is the only actor who has appeared in an admirable 13 Oscar winners. It’s hardly surprising: he’s the kind of actor that studios know they can recur to when they need a true actorial chameleon. Need someone who can be elegant and romantic? Someone who can be hilarious, whether the role demands subtle humor or over-the-topness? Someone who can appear villainous and imposing? No matter the situation, Fiennes is a great fit. He has never won an Oscar, but he has been nominated thrice.
This year, wereConclaveto snag at least one Academy Award (which it’s very likely to do), Fiennes' number would go up to 14 Oscar winners that he’s starred in. At 62 years old, that’s highly commendable. From comedies likeThe Grand Budapest Hotel(a performance for which it’sa travesty that Fiennes wasn’t Oscar-nominated) to animated movies likeThe Prince of Egyptto Best Picture winners likeSchindler’s List, there’s no category of prestigious project that this actor hasn’t starred in—and his career is far from over.
1John Ratzenberger
Has starred in: 15 Oscar winners
The vast majority of Oscar-winning films starring John Ratzenberger are Pixar films, as the actor has voiced both big roles (like Hamm in theToy Storyseries) and cameos (like his role as Juan Ortodoncia inCoco). However, he’s also had brief roles in live-action movies likeRedsand even Best Picture winners likeGandhi. Ratzenberger is constantly in the background, delivering some consistently outstanding work and blending in with the stories that he elevates with his presence.
Ratzenberger isa phenomenally underrated character actorboth in front of the screen and from the voice-recording booth, capable of creating some vibrant and endearing characters that inevitably stand out, even if many movie fans may not actually know his name or face. He’s the kind of actor who’s always happy to just be there for support, even if it means getting little of the recognition that should come with being the star with the largest number of appearances in Oscar-winning films. Maybe it’s time he got that recognition.
