The Triple Crown of Acting is a term used in the American entertainment industry to describe actors who have won a competitive Academy Award, Emmy Award, and Tony Award in the acting categories, the highest awards recognized in American film, television, and theater, respectively.[1] The term "Triple Crown" is used in other competitive areas, such as the Triple Crown of Horse Racing.
Only twenty-four people, fifteen women and nine men, have achieved the Triple Crown.
Helen Hayes became the first actor to do so with her Emmy Award on February 5, 1953. Less than two months later, Thomas Mitchell became the first man to do so when he received a Tony Award on March 29, 1953. Hayes, Rita Moreno, and Viola Davis are the only Triple Crown winners in competitive acting categories who have also won a Grammy Award to complete the EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony).
Living winners of the Triple Crown of Acting are Rita Moreno, Jeremy Irons, Vanessa Redgrave, Al Pacino, Geoffrey Rush, Ellen Burstyn, Helen Mirren, Frances McDormand, Jessica Lange, and Viola Davis.
The British entertainment industry, which has links with its American counterpart through shared language and frequent cross-Atlantic production, has a Triple Crown of its own, consisting of the BAFTA Film Award, the BAFTA Television Award, and the Laurence Olivier Award.[citation needed] The eight actors who have completed the British Triple Crown in competitive acting categories are Judi Dench, Virginia McKenna, Peggy Ashcroft, Nigel Hawthorne, Julie Walters, Albert Finney, Helen Mirren, and Mark Rylance.
Only Helen Mirren has earned both the American and British Triple Crowns.
Actor | Completed | Years to complete |
Oscar | Emmy | Tony | Total wins |
Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Helen Hayes | 1953 | 21 | 1932 | 1953 | 1947 | 5 | |
Thomas Mitchell | 1953 | 13 | 1940 | 1953 | 1953 | 3 | [2] |
Ingrid Bergman | 1960 | 15 | 1945 | 1960 | 1947 | 6 | |
Shirley Booth | 1962 | 13 | 1953 | 1962 | 1949 | 6 | |
Melvyn Douglas | 1968 | 8 | 1964 | 1968 | 1960 | 4 | |
Paul Scofield | 1969 | 7 | 1967 | 1969 | 1962 | 3 | |
Jack Albertson | 1975 | 10 | 1969 | 1975 | 1965 | 4 | |
Rita Moreno | 1977 | 15 | 1962 | 1977 | 1975 | 4 | |
Maureen Stapleton | 1981 | 31 | 1982 | 1968 | 1951 | 4 | |
Jason Robards | 1988 | 29 | 1977 | 1988 | 1959 | 4 | |
Jessica Tandy | 1989 | 42 | 1990 | 1988 | 1948 | 5 | [3] |
Jeremy Irons | 1997 | 13 | 1991 | 1997 | 1984 | 4 | [4] |
Anne Bancroft | 1999 | 41 | 1963 | 1999 | 1958 | 4 | [5] |
Vanessa Redgrave | 2003 | 25 | 1978 | 1981 | 2003 | 4 | [6] |
Maggie Smith | 2003 | 33 | 1970 | 2003 | 1990 | 7 | [7] |
Al Pacino | 2004 | 35 | 1993 | 2004 | 1969 | 5 | [8] |
Geoffrey Rush | 2009 | 12 | 1997 | 2005 | 2009 | 3 | [9] |
Ellen Burstyn | 2009 | 34 | 1975 | 2009 | 1975 | 4 | [10] |
Christopher Plummer | 2011 | 38 | 2012 | 1977 | 1974 | 5 | [11] |
Helen Mirren | 2015 | 19 | 2007 | 1996 | 2015 | 6 | [12] |
Frances McDormand | 2015 | 18 | 1997 | 2015 | 2011 | 5 | [13] |
Jessica Lange | 2016 | 33 | 1983 | 2009 | 2016 | 6 | [14] |
Viola Davis | 2017 | 16 | 2017 | 2015 | 2001 | 4 | [15] |
Glenda Jackson | 2018 | 47 | 1971 | 1972 | 2018 | 6 | [16] |
Years given are the years of the respective ceremonies. Performers are listed in order of completing the Triple Crown.
American actress Helen Hayes (1900–1993) was the first performer to achieve the triple crown of acting, doing so in 1953. Hayes was a 9-time Emmy (1), 3-time Tony (2), and 2-time Oscar (2) nominee, for a total of 14 TC nominations. She won two Oscars, two Tonys and an Emmy for a total of five competitive triple crown awards. She also won a Grammy in 1977 for Best Spoken Word Recording to complete the EGOT, for competitive Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony wins. Hayes is one of only three Triple Crown winners (along with Rita Moreno and Viola Davis) to have achieved EGOT status.
American actor and writer Thomas Mitchell (1892–1962) completed the triple crown in 1953, two months after Helen Hayes. He was a 3-time Emmy (1), 2-time Oscar (1), and 1-time Tony (1) nominee, for a total of six TC nominations. Mitchell won three awards.
Swedish actress Ingrid Bergman (1915–1982) completed the triple crown in 1960. She was a 7-time Oscar (3), 3-time Emmy (2), and 1-time Tony (1) nominee, for a total of 11 TC nominations. Bergman won six awards.
American actress Shirley Booth (1898–1992) completed the triple crown in 1962. She was a 4-time Emmy (2), 3-time Tony (3), and 1-time Oscar (1) nominee, for a total of eight TC nominations. Booth won six awards.
American actor Melvyn Douglas (1901–1981) completed the triple crown in 1968. He was a 3-time Oscar (2), 2-time Emmy (1), and 1-time Tony (1) nominee, for a total of six TC nominations. Douglas won four awards.
English actor Paul Scofield (1922–2008) completed the triple crown in 1969. He was a 2-time Oscar (1), 1-time Emmy (1), and 1-time Tony (1) nominee, for a total of four TC nominations. Scofield won three awards. His seven-year completion is the fastest of any triple crown recipient.
American actor, comedian, dancer and singer Jack Albertson (1907–1981) completed the triple crown in 1975. He was a 5-time Emmy (2), 2-time Tony (1), and 1-time Oscar (1) nominee, for a total of eight TC nominations. Albertson won four awards.
Puerto Rican actress, dancer, and singer Rita Moreno (born 1931) completed the triple crown in 1977. She is a 6-time Emmy (2), 1-time Oscar (1), and 1-time Tony (1) nominee, for a total of eight TC nominations. Moreno has won 4 TC qualifying awards. Moreno is the first Hispanic actor to win the Triple Crown and is one of only three Triple Crown winners who have also achieved EGOT status.
American actress Maureen Stapleton (1925–2006) completed the triple crown in 1982. She was a 7-time Emmy (1), 6-time Tony (2), and 4-time Oscar (1) nominee, for a total of 17 nominations. Stapleton won four awards.
American actor Jason Robards (1922–2000) completed the triple crown in 1988. He was an 8-time Tony (1), 5-time Emmy (1), and 3-time Oscar (2) nominee, for a total of 16 TC nominations. Robards won four awards.
British-American actress Jessica Tandy (1909–1994) completed the triple crown in 1990. She was a 5-time Tony (3), 3-time Emmy (1), and 2-time Oscar nominee (1), for a total of 10 TC nominations. Tandy won five awards.
English actor and activist Jeremy Irons (born 1948) completed the triple crown in 1997. He is a 3-time acting Emmy (2), 1-time Oscar (1), and 1-time Tony (1) nominee, for a total of five TC nominations. Irons has won four TC qualifying awards.
Note: Irons has an additional Emmy win in a non-acting category, winning the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Narrator in 2014 for Game of Lions.
American actress Anne Bancroft (1931–2005) completed the triple crown in 1999. She was a 6-time (1) acting Emmy, 5-time Oscar (1), and 3-time Tony (2) nominee, for a total of 14 TC nominations. Bancroft won four awards.
Note: Bancroft won an additional Emmy in 1970 in the category Outstanding Variety or Musical Program – Variety and Popular Music, as the star of the special Annie, the Women in the Life of a Man.
English actress and activist Vanessa Redgrave (born 1937) completed the triple crown in 2003. She is a 6-time Oscar (1), 6-time Emmy (2), and 3-time Tony (1) nominee, for a total of 15 TC nominations. Redgrave has won four TC qualifying awards.
English actress Maggie Smith (1934–2024) completed the triple crown in 2003. She was a 9-time Emmy (4), 6-time Oscar (2), and 3-time Tony (1) nominee, for a total of 18 TC nominations. Smith was the first and only Triple Crown winner to win seven TC qualifying awards.
American actor Al Pacino (born 1940) completed the triple crown in 2004. He is a 9-time Oscar (1), 3-time Emmy (2), and 3-time Tony (2) nominee, for a total of 15 TC nominations. Pacino has won five TC qualifying awards.
Australian actor Geoffrey Rush (born 1951) completed the triple crown in 2009. He is a 4-time Oscar (1), 2-time Emmy (1), and 1-time Tony (1) nominee, for a total of seven TC nominations. Rush has won three TC qualifying awards.
American actress Ellen Burstyn (born 1932) completed the triple crown in 2009. She is an 8-time Emmy (2), 6-time Oscar (1), and 1-time Tony (1) nominee, for a total of 15 TC nominations. Burstyn has won four TC qualifying awards.
Canadian actor Christopher Plummer (1929–2021) completed the triple crown in 2012. He was a 7-time Emmy (2), 7-time Tony (2), and 3-time Oscar (1) nominee, for a total of 17 TC nominations. Plummer won five awards. With his Oscar win in 2012, Plummer became the oldest person to complete the Triple Crown at the age of 82.
English actor Helen Mirren (born 1945) completed the triple crown in 2015. She is an 11-time Emmy (4), 4-time Oscar (1), and 3-time Tony (1) nominee, for a total of 18 TC nominations. Mirren has won six TC qualifying awards.
Note: Mirren is the only person to have also won the British Triple Crown of Acting by being awarded the three equivalent honours in the British entertainment industry: a BAFTA Film Award, a BAFTA Television Award, and a Olivier Award; Also she has an additional Emmy win in a non-acting category, winning the Children's and Family Emmy Award for Outstanding Host in 2022 for Harry Potter: Hogwarts Tournament of Houses.
American actress and producer Frances McDormand (born 1957) completed the triple crown in 2015. She is a 6-time acting Oscar (3), 2-time Tony (1), and 2-time acting Emmy (1) nominee, for a total of 10 TC nominations. McDormand has won five TC qualifying awards.
Note: McDormand has two additional Emmy and Oscar wins in non-acting categories, winning the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Limited Series for executive producing Olive Kitteridge, and the Academy Award for Best Picture for producing Nomadland.
American actress Jessica Lange (born 1949) completed the triple crown in 2016. She is a 10-time Emmy (3), 6-time Oscar (2), and 2-time Tony (1) nominee, for a total of 18 TC nominations. Lange has won six TC qualifying awards.
American actress and producer Viola Davis (born 1965) completed the triple crown in 2017.[17] She is the youngest person and the first African American to achieve the triple crown.[17][18] She is a 4-time Oscar (1), 3-time Tony (2), and 5-time Emmy (1) nominee, for a total of 12 TC nominations. Davis has won four TC qualifying awards. Davis is also one of only three Triple Crown winners who have also achieved EGOT status.
English actress and former Member of Parliament (MP) Glenda Jackson (1936–2023) completed the triple crown in 2018. She was a 5-time Tony (1), 5-time Emmy (3), and 4-time Oscar (2) nominee, for a total of 14 TC nominations. Jackson won six awards. Her forty-eight-year completion is the longest of any triple crown recipient.
The following people have each won two out of the three major entertainment awards that honor acting in competitive categories.[19]
^1 Won an Emmy in a non-acting category.
^2 Nominated for an Emmy in a non-acting category.
^3 Won a Daytime Emmy.
^4 Won an International Emmy.
^5 Won a Tony in a non-acting category.
The following people have not won all three awards in competitive acting categories, but have received at least one nomination for each of them:
The British entertainment industry has a Triple Crown of its own, consisting of the BAFTA Film Award, the BAFTA Television Award, and the Laurence Olivier Award, for film, television, and theatre respectively. Eight actors have completed the British Triple Crown: Judi Dench, Virginia McKenna, Peggy Ashcroft, Nigel Hawthorne, Julie Walters, Albert Finney, Helen Mirren, and Mark Rylance. Only Mirren has completed both the American and British Triple Crowns.
Other actors have won all of the awards, but not in competitive acting categories. Anthony Hopkins has BAFTAs in both categories but only an Olivier Award for "Outstanding Achievement" (he was nominated as Best Actor for the same show, but lost). Maggie Smith has several Film BAFTAs but only non-competitive awards for BAFTA Television and Olivier. There had been confusion about whether or not Ashcroft qualifies for the British Triple Crown in competitive categories because her winning the Actress of the Year in a New Play Olivier Award for Old World in the inaugural year of the Olivier Awards in 1976 had been overlooked.
Other winners include actors Alan Bennett and Kenneth Branagh, but some of their awards weren't in acting categories.
Actor | Completed | Years to complete |
BAFTA Film | BAFTA TV | Olivier | Total wins |
Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Judi Dench | 1977 | 12 | 1966 | 1968 | 1977 | 17 | |
Virginia McKenna | 1979 | 24 | 1957 | 1955 | 1979 | 3 | |
Peggy Ashcroft | 1986 | 10 | 1986 | 1981 | 1976 | 4 | |
Nigel Hawthorne | 1996 | 14 | 1996 | 1981 | 1992 | 7 | |
Julie Walters | 2002 | 18 | 1984 | 2002 | 2001 | 7 | |
Albert Finney | 2003 | 43 | 1961 | 2003 | 1986 | 3 | |
Helen Mirren | 2013 | 21 | 2007 | 1992 | 2013 | 5 | [20] |
Mark Rylance | 2015 | 21 | 2016 | 2006 | 1994 | 5 |
English actress Judi Dench (born 1934) completed the triple crown in 1977, becoming the first person to complete the British triple crown. She completed her second triple crown in 1986, her third triple crown in 1988, and her fourth in 2001. She is a 12-time BAFTA TV (4), 15-time BAFTA Film (6), and 15-time Olivier (7) nominee, for a total of 42 TC nominations. Dench has won seventeen awards.
Note: Dench is the only actor to complete multiple triple crowns of acting, on either the American or British side, and has completed four. She is the only person to have won more than seven triple crown awards, on either the British or American side. She also holds the records (though tied) for most BAFTA TV nominations, most BAFTA Film nominations, and most BAFTA Film awards; Dench has also won a Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1999 for Shakespeare in Love and a Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Play in 1999 for Amy's View. She has also been nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards (short of completing the American triple crown).
British stage and screen actress, author, animal rights activist, and wildlife campaigner Virginia McKenna (born 1931) completed the triple crown in 1979. McKenna has won three awards.
Note: McKenna has never been nominated for an Academy Award, an Emmy Award, or an Tony Award.
English actress Peggy Ashcroft (1907–1991) completed the triple crown in 1986. She won one competitive Olivier Award, two BAFTA TV Awards and one BAFTA Film Award. Ashcroft won four awards over a period of ten years.
Note: Ashcroft won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1985 for A Passage to India (a year before winning the BAFTA Film Award). She was also nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards, but never nominated for a Tony Award to complete the American triple crown.
English actor Nigel Hawthorne (1929–2001) completed the triple crown in 1995. He is a 5-time BAFTA TV (5), 1-time BAFTA Film (1), and 2-time Olivier (1) nominee, for a total of 8 TC nominations. Hawthorne has won seven awards.
Note: Hawthorne had also been nominated for a Academy Award for Best Actor in 1995 for The Madness of King George and won a Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Play in 1991 for Shadowlands, but never been nominated for any Emmy Award to complete the American triple crown.
English actress Julie Walters (born 1950) completed the triple crown in 2002. She is a 7-time BAFTA TV (4), 6-time BAFTA Film (2), and 2-time Olivier (1) nominee, for a total of 11 TC nominations. Walters has won seven awards. It took her eighteen years to complete the British Triple Crown.
Note: Walters has also received an honorary BAFTA in 2003 and the BAFTA Academy Fellowship Award in 2014. She was nominated for a Academy Award for Best Actress in 1984 for Educating Rita and a second nomination for Best Supporting Actress in 2001 for Billy Elliot. She is the recipient of two International Emmy Awards for Best Performance by an Actress, but she has never been nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award.
English actor Albert Finney (1936–2019) completed the triple crown in 2003. He is a 4-time BAFTA TV (1), 9-time BAFTA Film (1), and 2-time Olivier (1) nominee, for a total of 15 TC nominations. Finney has won three awards.
Note: Finney also won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie in 2003 for The Gathering Storm and won two Tony Awards, but never won a Academy Award (after 5 nominations) to complete the American triple crown.
English actor Helen Mirren (born 1945) completed the triple crown in 2013. She is a 6-time BAFTA TV (3), 5-time BAFTA Film (1), and 4-time Olivier (1) nominee, for a total of 15 TC nominations. Mirren has won five awards. It took her twenty-one years to complete the British Triple Crown.
Note: Mirren is the only person to have also won the American Triple Crown of Acting by being awarded the three equivalent honors in the American entertainment industry: winning a Academy Award, four Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Tony Award.
British actor, playwright and theatre director Mark Rylance (born 1960) completed the triple crown in 2015. He is a 2-time BAFTA TV (2), 1-time BAFTA Film (1), and 8-time Olivier (2) nominee, for a total of 11 TC nominations. Rylance has won five awards.
Note: Rylance has also won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2016 for Bridge of Spies and won three Tony Awards. He has been nominated for one Primetime Emmy Award (short of completing the American triple crown).