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There are many actors and actresses who have received Oscars, but only a group of them did so for bringing a real person to life.
The Oscars are the most important awards in the film industry and since 1927 they have rewarded all those involved in the art of making films, from the director and actors to makeup and wardrobe.
The film industry tells a huge variety of stories, sometimes telling the stories of real people, and some of these actors received Oscar nominations, but only a few managed to take home the iconic golden statuette.
Come and discover some of the actors who took home the statuette.
LUISE RAINER
Luise Rainer played Anna Held in the 1936 film “The Great Ziegfeld”. The actress played a Broadway actress, of Polish and French origins, who finds herself in the love triangle between herself, producer Florenz Ziegfeld and Billie Burke. This was during Ziegfeld’s rise as a producer.
Unfortunately, this film has not aged well, being considered one of the worst films to receive the Best Film award at the Oscars.
JAMES CAGNEY
Actor James Cagney may be known for his gangster roles in “Bloody Fury” or “The Public Enemy”, but the actor won the Oscar for Best Actor for “Triumphal Song” in 1942.
Cagney brought to life George M. Cohan, actor, producer, screenwriter and director who would become known as the ‘Owner of Broadway’. With this film, the actor surprised everyone with his ability to bring to life a character so different from those previously seen. This was his only Oscar.
BARBRA STREISAND
Actress Barbra Streisand received her Oscar for playing Fanny Bryce in the 1969 musical “Funny Girl”. However, something unexpected happened that year as Streisand tied for Best Actress with Katharine Hepburn, the only time this happened at this award-winning ceremony.
The plot tells the story of Fanny Bryce, a very talented woman, who rises to stardom, but everything changes when she falls in love with Nicky Arnestein (Omar Shariff), a businessman and gambler.
SISSY SPACEK
Sissy Spacek is known for having played Carrie in the 1976 horror classic, and even received a nomination at the time. But it was only with “The Miner’s Daughter” in 1980 that Spacek took home an Oscar.
The actress played country singer Loretta Lynn, where we follow the life of young Lynn, from poverty to her marriage at age 15, to her success in country music.
MARTIN LANDAU
Martin Landau received an Oscar for his portrayal of Bela Lugosi in Tim Burton’s film “Ed Wood”, which starred Johnny Depp.
This film tells the story of Ed Woods, a famous director and a very important figure in the history of Hollywood. Landau brings to life Bela Lugosi, an icon of horror films, and an important part of Woods’ story.
CHARLIZE THERON
Charlize Theron won her only Oscar to date, with the film “Monster”. The South African actress was unrecognizable in this film where she plays a serial killer, Aileen Wuornos, who killed seven men while working as a prostitute.
This film is based on real events, with Wuornos herself being executed in 2002, one year before this film. In addition to Theron, the cast also includes Christina Ricci, Bruce Dern, Lee Tergesen and Annie Corley.
CATE BLANCHETT
Cate Blanchett received the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for Martin Scorsese’s film “The Aviator”. In it, the actress gave life to Katharine Hepburn, a Hollywood legend.
This biopic tells the life of pilot, tycoon and producer Howard Hughes (Leonardo DiCaprio), who had a relationship with Hepburn in the 1930s.
JAMIE FOXX
Leonardo DiCaprio lost the Oscar for Best Actor in 2005 to Jamie Foxx, with his performance as Ray Charles in the film “Ray”.
This film by Taylor Hackford portrays a thirty-year period in the soul singer’s life, in particular during the period in which he suffered from substance abuse and his difficulties in achieving success.
In addition to Foxx, the cast also includes Regina King, Kerry Washington and Clifton Powell.
REESE WITHERSPOON
Reese Witherspoon managed to win an Oscar for Best Actress with the film “Walk The Line”.
Although “Walk The Line” focuses on the life of country singer Johnny Cash (Joaquin Phoenix) and his struggle with substances, there was another star in this film, June Carter (Witherspoon). Cash and Carter had a passionate but tumultuous romance.
HELEN MIRREN
Helen Mirren is considered one of the best actresses of all time and in 2007 the actress received an Oscar for playing Queen Elizabeth II in the film “The Queen”.
This film portrays a very difficult period for the British royal family, the death of Princess Diana and everything that emerged in the following days.
The cast also includes Michael Sheen, James Cromwell, Alex Jennings and Roger Allam.
MARION COTILLARD
In 2008, French actress Marion Cotillard received an Oscar for Best Actress for her portrayal of the iconic Édith Piaf in “La Vie en Rose”.
This biopic follows Piaf’s turbulent life, from her childhood in poverty, her rise to success, tragedies and substance abuse. Cotillard was joined by Gérard Depardieu as Louis Leplée, the club owner who discovered Piaf.
MERYL STREEP
Meryl Streep is one of the actresses with the most Oscar nominations and won a few, but only one was a biopic. Streep won a golden statuette with “The Iron Lady” where she played Margaret Thatcher, the first woman to be Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
This biopic shows us Thatcher’s past from her point of view, in a complicated period after her husband’s death.
In addition to Streep, the cast also includes Jim Broadbent, Richard E. Grant and Susan Brown.
DANIEL DAY-LEWIS
Daniel Day-Lewis received two Oscars for playing real people, but here we focus only on “Lincoln” where the actor played President Abraham Lincoln.
The actor had a career spanning 21 films, however in “Lincoln” Day-Lewis shows us the president of the United States in conflict due to the civil war and his decision to emancipate slaves.
The cast also includes Sally Field, David Strathairn and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
EDDIE REDMAYNE
Eddie Redmayne received two nominations. However, he only won with “The Theory of Everything” when he brought physicist Stephen Hawking to life.
The film follows Hawking’s life from the discovery of his illness to his success in his field of study, all alongside the love story between Hawking and Jane Wilde.
The cast also features Felicity Jones, Harry Lloyd and David Thewlis.
MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY
Matthew McConaughey received his Oscar in 2014 for the film “The Dallas Club”.
McConaughey played Ron Woodford, a man who discovered he was infected with the HIV virus and created a club where he obtained medication that was not authorized in the United States to help others in the same situation as him.
In addition to McConaughey, the cast includes Jennifer Garner, Jared Leto and Steve Zahn.
GARY OLDMAN
Gary Oldman completely transformed himself in “Darkest Hour” when he played Prime Minister Winston Churchill, for which he received an Oscar.
This biopic showed us Churchill in the most troubled period in history, the Second World War, and how he led the country during this time.
The cast also includes Lily James, Kristin Scott Thomas and Ben Mendelsohn.
MAHERSHALA ALI
Mahershala Ali received an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in 2019 for “Green Book – A Guide to Life”.
There he plays pianist Don Shirley, and in “Green Book – A Guide to Life” the plot follows the unlikely friendship between Shirley and her driver and bodyguard, Frank Vallelonga, in a segregated world.
In addition to Ali, the cast includes Viggo Mortensen, Linda Cardellini and Sebastian Maniscalco.
RAMI MALEK
Rami Malek won the Oscar for Best Actor in 2019 for the film “Bohemian Rhapsody”.
Malek brought the iconic Freddy Mercury to life in this biopic where we follow Mercury’s story over a period of 15 years, from the formation of Queen to the memorable Wembley concert.
The cast also includes Lucy Boynton, Gwilym Lee, Ben Hardy and Aidan Gillen.
RENÉE ZELLWEGER
Renée Zellweger won her second Oscar for Best Actress with “Judy”.
The actress plays Judy Garland, the iconic Hollywood actress known for playing Dorothy in “The Wizard of OZ” in 1939, and this biopic gives us the last year of Garland’s career with flashbacks to the time when she was Dorothy.
The cast also includes Jessie Buckley, Finn Wittrock, Rufus Sewell and Michael Gambon.
CILLIAN MURPHY
Cillian Murphy received his first Oscar for “Oppenheimer”, which dominated the 2024 awards season.
Murphy brought J. Murphy Oppenheimer to life as we follow his life, from his school years to the point where he helped create the atomic bomb that changed the world forever.
In addition to Murphy, the cast included Emily Blunt, Robert Downey Jr. and Matt Damon.
Have you seen these films?
