In the nearly century-long history of the Oscars, there have only been three occasions in which an actress won Best Actress for playing historical queens. Films in which a female monarch of history takes center stage have been a popular avenue explored again and again by Hollywood for decades.
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Over the years, Hollywood films retold the stories of Catherine the Great, Cleopatra, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Queen Victoria, and many more. And although this is a trend that the industry has not yet abandoned, the list of actresses who will receive the top honor for that performance is considerably short. Interestingly, there have only been three times in Oscar history that an actress won Best Actress for playing a famous queen.
3 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 on Christmas Day 1183. Hepburn starred alongside Peter O’Toole, who received his third Best Actor nomination for his performance. of Henry II. . The film depicts Henry and Eleanor’s tumultuous relationship, and their different plans to obtain an heir to the throne.
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The lion in winter was met with high praise from critics, receiving praise for its story, historical accuracy, and performances. The film received seven Academy Award nominations in 1968, including Best Picture, and won three. Katharine Hepburn’s performance as 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.
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Katharine Hepburn’s Oscar nominations |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
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Year |
Academy Award |
Movie |
Role |
Result |
|
1932/1933 |
Best Actress |
morning glory |
Eva Lovelace |
Cattle |
|
1935 |
Alicia Adams |
Alicia Adams |
Nominated |
|
|
1940 |
The history of Philadelphia |
Mr. Tracy |
Nominated |
|
|
1942 |
woman of the year |
Tess Harding |
Nominated |
|
|
1951 |
The African Queen |
rose sayer |
Nominated |
|
|
1955 |
Summer |
Jane Hudson |
Nominated |
|
|
1956 |
The rainmaker |
Lizzie Curry |
Nominated |
|
|
1959 |
Suddenly last summer |
Violet Venable |
Nominated |
|
|
1962 |
The long journey from day to night |
Mary Tyrone |
Nominated |
|
|
1967 |
Guess who’s coming to dinner |
Christina Drayton |
Cattle |
|
|
1968 |
The lion in winter |
Eleanor of Aquitaine |
Won (tied with Barbra Streisand) |
|
|
1981 |
In the golden pond |
Ethel Thayer |
Cattle |
|
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In a surprising moment in the Oscar’s 96-year history, Hepburn tied with Barbra Streisand for the Best Actress award; Streisand also won the award for her role as Fanny Brice in funny girl. This is the only time there has been a tie at the Oscars. With his victory for 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 have won four Best Actress awards in Oscar history.
2 Helen Mirren won an Oscar in 2006 for playing Elizabeth II
Helen Mirren starred in The Queen
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Helen Mirren began her theater career in 1965, playing the Egyptian queen Cleopatra in Shakespeare’s tragedy. Antony and Cleopatra. He had a very successful career in both film and television, before starring in the 2006 historical drama, the queen, where she played the then queen of England, Elizabeth II. the queen is set in 1997 and shows Elizabeth II struggling with the aftermath 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 Levy). the queen It received a positive reception from critics and the British royal family and is considered one of Helen Mirren’s best films. She received six Oscar nominations in 2007, and Helen Mirren won Best Actress for her performance; In his acceptance speech, he called his award “the biggest and best gold star” of his career. Mirren also won a BAFTA, Golden Globe, SAG and Critics’ Choice awards for her portrayal of Elizabeth II.
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1 Olivia Colman won an Oscar in 2018 for playing Queen Anne
Olivia Colman starred in The Favorite
Near
the favorite was released in 2018 and covers the reign of Queen Anne, who ruled England during the 18th century. The film depicts the feud between cousins Sarah Churchill (Rachel Weisz) and Abigail Hill (Emma Stone), who fight each other to become Queen Anne’s favorite. Olivia Colman plays Anne as an unstable queen, who suffers from an illness. physically and mentally, and throughout the film, he relies on Sarah, and later Abigail, for support and comfort. the favorite is a film that depicts villains, and both women use the queen as a target to achieve success.
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In production since 1998, the favorite was critically acclaimed and received praise for its performances, soundtrack, costume design, and historical setting. The film received multiple praise and won the Grand Jury Prize at the 75th Venice International Film Festival. the favorite It received 10 Oscar nominations in 2019, including Best Picture, and has since been labeled one of the best black comedy films ever made.
Related The only 3 actors who won the Oscar for best actor for playing kings
In the history of the Oscars, there have only been three occasions when actors won Best Actor for playing prestigious kings.
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Olivia Colman won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance as Queen Anne, which has since been considered one of the best of her career. She has since received further praise for her role as Queen Elizabeth II in the crown and has been nominated for an Oscar for her roles in the father (2021) and The lost daughter (2022). Since 2019, while there have been several actresses who have won awards for playing real people, there have been no more winners at the Oscars for playing historical queens.
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Fountain: Emanuel Levy
oscar awards
The Oscars, also known as the Academy Awards, are an annual awards show that celebrates workers in the film industry for their artistic and technical skills. The Oscars are often considered the industry’s most prestigious awards show, dating back to 1929. The 96th Academy Awards will take place on March 10, 2024, and will be hosted by Jimmy Kimmel on ABC .
Location Los Angeles, CA Dates March 10, 2024 ABC Network