SubscribeComparing kudos: Crazy for Jack and 10 grand slammers
Comparing the top showbiz awards is a fascinating exercise, leading to a sad conclusion that we award nuts have probably, secretly known all along: there is no such thing as a best picture.
For the past 40 years only once have all of the leading industry and film-critics' honors agreed upon one movie — "Schindler's List" — but then the rest of America had the nerve to pipe in and ruin everything back in 1994, giving the People's Choice Award to a different Spielberg pic, "Jurassic Park." The kudo decision makers also disagree over the greatest (or most trophied) movies. None of the three films that won the most Oscars ("Ben-Hur," "Titanic," "Lord of the Rings: Return of the King") is among the five that claimed the most Golden Globes ("Doctor Zhivago," "The Godfather," "Love Story," "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" and Barbra Streisand's version of "A Star is Born") or the two most hailed movies by the New York Film Critics Circle ("Broadcast News," "Far from Heaven").
However, here's a curious factoid: All of the major, well-established film awards have the same biggest winner among male actors. Jack Nicholson has won the most Oscars (three — tied with Walter Brennan), Golden Globes (six), New York Film Critics Circle (seven), Los Angeles Film Critics Association (three), National Society of Film Critics (five), National Board of Review (five), and the Screen Actors Guild (one — no actor has won more of the guild's solo awards for film work). Russell Crowe surpasses Jack by a score of 3 to 2 at the Critics' Choice Awards, but those are fairly new prizes, so Jack could catch up with Russell there someday.
Photo: Quelle horror! Jack wasn't nominated by any awards group for his brilliant performance in 'The Shining.'
(File Photo)
Meantime, no such kudos consensus exists among actresses. Meryl Streep has won the most awards from the L.A. critics (four), Sissy Spacek from the New Yorkers (four). Three stars are tied at the National Society of Film Critics (Anjelica Huston, Vanessa Redgrave and Liv Ullmann with three wins each) and Ingrid Bergman holds the record at the National Board of Review (four). Oscar's biggest female champ Katharine Hepburn (four) never won a Golden Globe while the Globes' biggest victor Rosalind Russell (five) never won an Academy Award.
Below is a list of the 10 famous people who've hit the Grand Slam, winning all four primary peer-group awards: Oscar, Emmy, Grammy and Tony. Note the key word, "winning." Sorry, Barbra Streisand fans — honorary awards don't count. Unless Babs returns to Broadway someday and bags one for real, you're just going to have to swallow that delicious showbiz irony that your diva would've won all four categories if it hadn't been for Carol Channing's revenge. Sure, Babs ended up swiping the movie role of "Hello, Dolly!" from Channing later on, but back in 1964, when Babs was still on stage in "Funny Girl" and the two dames faced off at the Tonys, voters chimed in "Hello, Carol!"
Special thanks to our forum moderator Chris "Boomer" Beachum for compiling this fascinating info:
GRAND SLAM CHAMPS (10)
Mel Brooks (Emmy 1967, Oscar 1968, Grammy 1998, Tony 2001)
John Gielgud (Tony 1961, Grammy 1979, Oscar 1981, Emmy 1991)
Whoopi Goldberg (Grammy 1985, Oscar 1990, Tony 2002, Daytime Emmy 2001)
Marvin Hamlisch (Oscar 1973, Grammy 1974, Tony 1976, Emmy 1992)
Helen Hayes (Oscar 1932, Tony 1947, Emmy 1953, Grammy 1976)
Audrey Hepburn (Oscar 1953, Tony 1954, Grammy 1993, Emmy 1993)
Rita Moreno (Oscar 1961, Grammy 1972, Tony 1975, Emmy 1977)
Mike Nichols (Grammy 1961, Tony 1964, Oscar 1967, Emmy 2001)
Richard Rodgers (Oscar 1945, Tony 1950, Grammy 1960, Emmy 1962)
Jonathan Tunick (Oscar 1977, Emmy 1982, Grammy 1988, Tony 1997)
About 50 famous people have won three parts of the Grand Slam. Our pal Chris Beachum has documented all of them:
MISSING AN ACADEMY AWARD (11):
Beatrice Arthur (Grammy 1966, Tony 1966, Emmy 1977)
Harry Belefonte (Tony 1954, Grammy 1960, Emmy 1960)
Leonard Bernstein (Tony 1953, Emmy 1957, Grammy 1961)
Fred Ebb (Grammy 1967, Tony 1967, Emmy 1973)
Julie Harris (Tony 1952, Emmy 1959, Grammy 1977)
James Earl Jones (Tony 1969, Grammy 1976, Emmy 1991)
John Kander (Grammy 1967, Tony 1967, Emmy 1973)
Marc Shaiman (Emmy 1992, Grammy 2002, Tony 2003)
Lily Tomlin (Grammy1971, Emmy 1974, Tony 1986)
Dick Van Dyke (Tony 1961, Grammy 1964, Emmy 1964)
James Whitmore (Tony 1948, Grammy 1975, Emmy 2000)
MISSING AN EMMY AWARD (9):
Henry Fonda (Tony 1948, Grammy 1976, Oscar 1981)
Joel Grey (Tony 1967, Grammy 1967, Oscar 1972)
Oscar Hammerstein (Oscar 1941, Tony 1950, Grammy 1960)
Elton John (Grammy 1991, Oscar 94, Tony 00)
Alan Lerner (Tony 1957, Oscar 1958, Grammy 1965)
Tim Rice (Grammy 1980, Tony 1980, Oscar 1992)
Stephen Sondheim (Tony 1963, Grammy 1973, Oscar 1990)
Jule Styne (Oscar 1954, Tony 1957, Grammy 1964)
Andrew Lloyd Webber (Grammy 1980, Tony 1980, Oscar 1996)
MISSING A TONY AWARD (11):
Julie Andrews (Grammy 1964, Oscar 1964, Emmy 1973)
Burt Bacharach (Grammy 1967, Oscar 1969, Emmy 1971)
Alan Bergman (Oscar 1968, Grammy 1974, Emmy 1977)
Marilyn Bergman (Oscar 1968, Grammy 1974, Emmy 1977)
George Burns (Oscar 1975, Grammy 1990, Emmy 1990)
Cher (Oscar 1987, Grammy 1999, Emmy 2003)
Randy Newman (Grammy 1984, Emmy 1991, Oscar 2001)
Barbra Streisand (Grammy 1963, Emmy 1965, Oscar 1968)
Peter Ustinov (Emmy 1958, Grammy 1959, Oscar 1960)
John Williams (Emmy 1969, Oscar 1972, Grammy 1975)
Robin Williams (Grammy 1987, Emmy 1987, Oscar 1997)
MISSING A GRAMMY AWARD (18):
Jack Albertson (Tony 1965, Oscar 1968, Emmy 1975)
Anne Bancroft (Tony 1958, Oscar 1962, Emmy 1970)
Ingrid Bergman (Oscar 1944, Tony 1947, Emmy 1960)
Shirley Booth (Tony 1949, Oscar 1952, Emmy 1962)
Ralph Burns (Oscar 1972, Emmy 1980, Tony 1999)
Melvyn Douglas (Tony 1960, Oscar 1963, Emmy 1968)
Bob Fosse (Tony 1955, Oscar 1972, Emmy 1973)
Jeremy Irons (Tony 1984, Oscar 1990, Emmy 1997)
Liza Minnelli (Tony 1965, Oscar 1972, Emmy 1973)
Thomas Mitchell (Oscar 1939, Tony 1953, Emmy 1953)
Al Pacino (Tony 1960, Oscar 1992, Emmy 2004)
Vanessa Redgrave (Oscar 1977, Emmy 1981, Tony 2003)
Jason Robards (Tony 59, Oscar 76, Emmy 88)
Paul Scofield (Tony 1962, Oscar 1966, Emmy 1969)
Maggie Smith (Oscar 1969, Tony 1990, Emmy 2003)
Maureen Stapleton (Tony 1951, Emmy 1968, Oscar 1981)
Jessica Tandy (Tony 1948, Emmy 1988, Oscar 1989)
Tony Walton (Tony 1973, Oscar 1979, Emmy 1986)
Ah, well, the annual awards derby sure has some bizarre twists and turns in the track, doesn't it? Perhaps Mark Twain's Pudd'nhead Wilson was right when he said, "It’s not best that we should all think alike or else there'd be no point to horse races!"
If this list should include honorray winners as well, then what about EILEEN HECKART who won an Oscar (1972), an Emmy (1994), a Golden Globe (1956) and an honorary Tony (2000).
Posted by: Luke Yankee | February 08, 2007 at 10:26 AM
One name that is missing from this list is EILEEN HECKART who won an Oscar (1972), an Emmy (1994), a Golden Globe (1956) and an honoraray Tony (2000). i know this list doesn't del with honorray awards, but i still think she should be included for her other awards.
Posted by: Luke Yankee | February 08, 2007 at 10:22 AM
It is the opinion of several qualified professionals in the industry thay Barabara Streisand should be added to the 4 time winner list, as her Tony though honorary was a valid award for her conrtibutions to broadway! She should not be misrepresented in the way in which you have portrayed her!
Posted by: Streisand's Wishful Spouse | May 05, 2006 at 05:35 PM
Nathan Lane could be included among those who are missing an Oscar. He won two Daytime Emmies for "Outstanding Children's Performer" for the "Timon and Pumbaa Show" in the mid to late 1990's. I believe he was a participant of "The Producers: Broadway Show Cast Album" and that might qualify him for a Grammy. And he has two Tonys for best Lead Actor in a Musical: "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to The Forum" and , of course, "The Producers"
Posted by: Kor Skeete | March 04, 2006 at 11:25 PM
True on the Renee Zellweger comment. However, I think the writer meant that no ACTOR has won two individual awards, whereas obviously, one ACTRESS has.
Posted by: Zeke | November 15, 2005 at 12:36 AM
Actually, Renee Zellweger has 2 individual SAG's. One for Chicago as Lead Actress, and one for Supporting Actress for Cold Mountain.
Posted by: Sean | November 10, 2005 at 09:35 AM
how can carol channing beating barbra strieisand in 1964 be considered revenge when the film of 'hello dolly' didn't come out until 1969?
Posted by: IPete | November 09, 2005 at 07:09 PM