The New Oscar Actress Hierarchy - Glenn & Frances Rising
Tuesday, March 16, 2021 at 2:01PM by Nathaniel R
We thought it would be fun to revise the Oscar Acting Hierarchy we last shared when Julianne Moore FINALLY won an Oscar six years back. What follows is a List of Oscar's 36 All Time Favorite Actresses... (you can see the corresponding actor list here) restricted to women with 5 or more nominations (though 4 nominations will get you in the list if you've won twice). Only the acting statistics are accounted for so Emma Thompson, for example, is not ranked. If you included her screenplay win she would have made the list. If you counted non-acting nominations, you'd also see Shirley Maclaine jump a rank as she was nominated for documentary once. Now that virtually every major star is also a producer these types of extra stats will only get murkier so we're opting not to include them and focusing only on what the Academy thinks of them as actors.
🔺 = the actress has moved up the chart or strengthened her placement since the last publication of this list (in February 2015). An explanation of how the rank was determined is at the end of the post.
OSCAR'S HOLY TRINITY
And 33 More Royals
THE HOLY TRINITY
01 🔺 Meryl Streep 21 nominations | 3 wins
02 Katharine Hepburn 12 nominations | 4 wins
03 Bette Davis 10/11 nominations* | 2 wins
* some people count Bette's write-in for Of Human Bondage, some do not
Their leading men in Oscar's heart: Nicholson, Olivier, Tracy, Newman
THE SUPREME GODDESSES
04 Ingrid Bergman 7 nominations | 3 wins
05 Jane Fonda 7 nominations | 2 wins
06 🔺 Cate Blanchett 7 nominations | 2 wins
07 Geraldine Page 8 nominations | 1 win
08 🔺 Glenn Close 8 nominations
09 Greer Garson 7 nominations | 1 win
10 Judi Dench 7 nominations | 1 win
11 🔺 Kate Winslet 7 nominations | 1 win
12 Elizabeth Taylor 5 nominations | 2 wins | honorary statue
13 🔺 Frances McDormand 6 nominations | 2 wins
14 Jessica Lange 6 nominations | 2 wins
15 Maggie Smith 6 nominations | 2 wins
Similarly celebrated men: DeNiro, Hoffman, O'Toole, Daniel Day-Lewis
DEMI-GODDESSES
16 Audrey Hepburn 5 nominations | 1 win | honorary statue
17 Sissy Spacek 6 nominations | 1 win
18 Deborah Kerr 6 nominations | 0 wins | honorary statue
19 Ellen Burstyn 6 nominations | 1 win
20 Vanessa Redgrave 6 nominations | 1 win
21 Olivia de Havilland 5 nominations | 2 wins
22 🔺 Amy Adams 6 nominations | 0 wins
23 Thelma Ritter 6 nominations | 0 wins
24 Shirley Maclaine 5 nominations | 1 win
25 Anne Bancroft 5 nominations | 1 win
26 Susan Sarandon 5 nominations | 1 win
27 Susan Hayward 5 nominations | 1 win
28 Norma Shearer 5 nominations | 1 win
29 Jennifer Jones 5 nominations | 1 win
30 Julianne Moore 5 nominations | 1 win
similarly celebrated men: Jimmy Stewart, Gregory Peck, Tom Hanks, Michael Caine
And closing out the list of Oscar's most beloved...
31 Jodie Foster 4 nominations | 2 wins
32 Glenda Jackson 4 nominations | 2 wins
33 🔺 Renée Zellweger 4 nominations | 2 wins
34 Shelley Winters 4 nominations | 2 wins
35 Barbara Stanwyck 4 nominations | 0 wins | 1 honorary
36 Irene Dunne 5 nominations | 0 wins
THE REST OF THE POST IS NOT COMPREHENSIVE (SO DON'T TELL US WE MISSED SOMEONE). JUST NAMES THAT COULD THEORETICALLY JOIN THE LIST ABOVE...
Who will be next to join the all time Oscar Actress hierarchy?
Tantalizingly close to list and still acting in movies with 4 nods each
🔺 Kathy Bates, Annette Bening, 🔺 Viola Davis, Jodie Foster, Holly Hunter, Diane Keaton, 🔺 Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Lawrence, Helen Mirren, Julia Roberts, 🔺 Saoirse Ronan, Emma Thompson, and 🔺 Michelle Williams
3-Timers that feel possible for a fourth... but can they make it to five? Five is such a small club
🔺 Laura Dern, Michelle Pfeiffer, 🔺 Natalie Portman, 🔺 Octavia Spencer, 🔺 Emma Stone, 🔺 Charlize Theron
2-Timers that feel possible for a third at least...
Jessica Chastain, 🔺 Olivia Colman, Anne Hathaway, 🔺 Sally Hawkins, 🔺 Scarlett Johansson, 🔺 Rooney Mara, 🔺 Melissa McCarthy, 🔺 Carey Mulligan 🔺 Margot Robbie, and 🔺 Rachel Weisz
One nomination only and it was several years ago. Seriously, what is the hold up on a second?
Toni Collette, Lupita Nyong'o, and Tilda Swinton
Current exciting actresses that have never been nominated (for acting) What would it take?
Nina Arianda, Nicole Beharie, Emily Blunt, Rose Byrne, Hong Chau, Carrie Coon, Essie Davis, Elizabeth Debicki, Elle Fanning, Kirsten Dunst, Regina Hall, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Elisabeth Moss, Sarah Paulson, Kristen Stewart, Tessa Thompson, Mia Wasikowska, and Kristen Wiig
Comment? You know you wanna.
How the ranks were determined... Number of nominations determines general placement, with wins counting as an extra half nomination each to determine initial rank. Once that is done, wins determine rank. In the event that someone has the same stats in nominations and wins, the tiebreaker factor is that lead counts more than supporting. If the tie stubbornly remains its broken by endurance (how many year the spread of nominations covers). Further mitigating factors: Three wins is so uncommon that it gives the actress a phantom extra full nomination in terms of ranking (thus Ingrid Bergman trumps Geraldine Page). Honorary statues (Oscar or Jean Hersholt) give the actress a phantom extra boost with the same affect as an additional nomination and win (thus Liz Taylor jumps Jessica Lange)... unless she never won a competitive Oscar in which case it only counts as a phantom win or nomination (thus Kerr cannot pole vault up to do battle with Lange or Blanchett) which of those to be determined by the gatekeeper (yours truly).
In the event that someone has multiple wins they may vault over the next immediate rivals if said rivals have never won a competitive Oscar and/or half or more of their nominations are in supporting (thus de Havilland trumps Thelma Ritter despite having less nominations. This also accounts for four women with only 4 nominations entering this 5 nomination only "Most Beloved" ranks.)
Reader Comments (85)
@Nathaniel, who do you suspect will be among the next to join?
Viola and Saoirse both feel wonderfully inevitable—Saoirse had not even yet received her second when you last posted this. Emma Stone is also still so young and consistently challenging herself.
@JoeG Yes! Two-time Oscar winner Octavia Spencer. Between Snowpiercer, Shape of Water, Fruitvale, and Luce, she continues to show she is capable of anything in any genre when offered good material.
Appreciating all the Michelle Williams love in the comments. Everyone is right that Nicole should already be in this group with 7+ and at least 2 wins (i.e. Rabbit Hole, To Die For, Portrait of a Lady, Moulin Rouge/The Others, Birth, Dogville, The Paperboy). She should easily be up there with Blanchett and Winslet.
Pam: I was ONLY talking about the ones in the never been nominated before list? So you mentioning Colman (a 2 time nominee likely headed for...5-6 nominations?) isn't even relevant in the first place? And Essie Davis is 51 and I'm not only saying she's still in her moment, but she's BEEN in her moment longer (7 years is the third longest total length I mentioned) than most of the younger performers managed to, so...yeah. Ageism is a reach and a half. Are you just angry that I might be right about all of them and don't want to admit it...?
I am probably wrong, but I think the next heir to Streep-Hepburn-Davis is someone we don't know right now. Hopefully, a woman of color since this list is very white lady. I am reminded that Streep and Hepburn were nominated only once together (for On Golden Pond and The French Lieutenant's Woman) and then Streep took over, as if there was a baton being passed from one to the other. In my imagination, something similar will happen when the next young legend is nominated with Meryl in the future, she retires, and then the young legend runs with the baton.
For people working now, I think Annette Benning, Amy Adams, Michelle Williams, Saoirse Ronan, and Michelle Pfeiffer could most easily win with the right role. It's so hard to win.
Quite a few of The Inevitables there, but I'll keep mom on them for now...
One more question: If Frances pulls off a third win (plus best picture!), does that put her up there with Ingrid Bergman?
Agree with Gilbert, but have a sick feeling in my stomach that she wins this year. I never thought Glenn finally getting a statue would bum me out, but here we are. Please Academy just wait that tiny bit longer!
True Glenn Fan, I can't believe the Oscars have created a situation where I'm rooting against her, but I'm "optimistic" she won't win this year. While the Razzie nomination was wholly undeserved, I think that will make Academy members less likely to go for her this year. I'm hoping Youn can take it, or maybe Bakalova. I think they'll want to reward Minari somewhere, and the former's stellar performance will be the place.
As for Glenn, I'm praying that Swan Song will be well-received, even if her role isn't juicy enough to nab a nomination. The director won the Oscar for short film a few years ago, and her co-star Mahershala Ali is producing it (and as we know, he has an eye for good projects). I think that could set her up for other good opportunities in the near future.
I saw Andrew Lloyd Webber just tweeted about the Sunset Boulevard movie, and I hope its made, but I don't think it will necessarily be the sure thing for Glenn some people expect.
Barbra Streisand belongs somewhere in this Pantheon. 2 wins (actress in Funny Girl and song for Evergreen), another nomination for acting (The Way We Were), another for producing (Prince of Tides), and another for song (I Finally Found Someone)...as well as quite a few more nominations for others whose work is associated with films she directed. I think there will be at least one more Oscar in her future. Maybe the Hersholt humanitarian award for her many contributions to a variety of causes.
Marsha Mason!
I love the lists....thank you.
Tom Ford - you may be right....maybe not in my life-time but I'm almost certain someone will overtake Streep in the distant future in terms of nominations and yes I hope it'll be a woman of colour (Black, Latino, Asian, etc). Also, the only one I can think of right now who might break Hepburn's record is Blanchett.
the most iconic movie actress of all time (and arguably the most iconic movie performer of all time) was never even nominated...
... that is how pointless Oscar is, in the end. It's nice, for some is an ego trip, for most is just a way to improve their career... Marilyn Monroe wasn't even nominated, yet she made some of the most iconic films and performances of all time...
I'll pin all my hopes on your optimism Gilbert! Hilariously enough I'm more optimistic about Sunset Boulevard. She would likely go into the 9th Oscar nomination with a Comedy/Music Glibe win. If she can nab SAG or BAFTA to go with it I feel she could position herself well. I also agree with Three Artful saying she is one of his inevitables. Three noms in ten years from not too large or successful films as an American Actress over 60 that isn't Meryl? Yep, just a matter of time
Parker -- this list only counts acting noms and wins. So she'd be above... oh wait that is raelly confusing. i'm going to have to study these calculations. She definitely moves up a few notches at least.
I keep reading someone will match Meryl,Preposterous,She's in a nomination class al of her own and it'll never be topped,she has at least another nomination or two down the line..
Crazy that if Nomadland wins Actress and Picture, Frances McDormand will be the owner of four Oscar statuettes. That’s exactly the number that Joel Coen has, a household with 8 (!) Oscars lying around. They could open a museum.
Meryl will never be matched. I agree with markgordonuk on that. Can we have a virtual prayer circle that Gilbert is correct!
Parker -- I would bet on Michelle Williams or Emma Stone being next. Or maybe Viola Davis though she's already 55 which worries me. I SHOULD NOTE: I DON'T CARE ABOUT AGE... but Hollywood does and it gets harder for actors to land meaty Oscar-ish roles once they hit their 50s. Streep and Dench have been exceptions... i hope there will be more until it's no longer notable as someone defying the odds.
I'm no longer all that hopeful that Annette Bening, Diane Keaton, Emma Thompson or Nicole Kidman will manage it -- this makes me sad!
Monty & Mark -- i dont believe Meryl will ever be matched either. She is nominated even when people dont like the movies and no one ever raises a fuss about it the way other actors are raked across the coals if people dont like their movies. She also neveer loses any momentum with bad movies or lesser performances. She is in so many ways an untouchable and that's not even a once a century thing, i dont think. I mean Hepburn and Davis were also reevered but they weren't nominated for everything the way Streep is. It's more like once every otther century or something. Consider that no one but Streep from contemporary cinema ever matched Hepburn & Davis records and then meryl basically obliterated those same records. Meryl only needs three more nominations to more than double the amount of nominations any other actor, male or female, has ever received.
everyone -- Of the newer generation obviously Saoirse Ronan has the best chance to eventually match tthe Bette/Kate level but that's a very small chance. Most actors who start strong when they're young, dont say that popular for long (and if Ammonite is indication we might be entering a lull --- just like we eventually did with JLaw) or hit a brick wall after they win (see Kate Winslet). Consider that Jodie Foster also nominated young and won two by the time she was 30 (which Saoirse could still theoretically do) hasn't been nominated in decades.
What' interesting about this list is that most actresses have a 2 decade-ish window in which they rack up most of their noms. There are a few who make a comback years later and get a nom (e.g., Greer Garson, Sissy, Ellen Burstyn), but for the most part, it's a short window when actresses rack up their noms.
The exceptions, of course, are the Holy Trinity and some of the Supremes (e.g., Ingrid, Geraldine, Maggie). Of these, Glenn is interesting because she got half of her noms in one decade, and the other half in another decade. She seemed to be a classic case of someone getting a comeback nom, but has sustained her second wind.
Also, I know her nom count is low - likely because of her Euro exile and life being cut way too short - but I tend to think of Ingrid Bergman being in the top tier.
In terms of who's next, I think Nicole and Viola will for sure make it. Viola has a Streep-like quality in which, she's able to get almost all of the strong roles (in her case, for Black actresses). She's also only in her second decade, and I suspect the Ma Rainey nom will earn her enough goodwill that she'll get another nom/project in the next 2-5 years. I also think she'll be helped by streaming, as she won't need to prove that she's a big box office draw to get nominations.
Nicole is now our limited series queen, but it's easy to see her getting one more nom. With all the sharks circling the water, if she nails the Lucy role, she'll get a nom for sure. Even if she doesn't get in for that, she'll have another Lion type role or even one that's akin to Bates in Richard Jewel in a few decades and she'll be welcomed back. For as adventurous and artistic as she is, which hurts her with getting oscar noms for some of her best performances, he takes on diverse roles - one that are strange and artistic and easy for the academy to overlook, but also ones that are totally in their wheelhouse (e.g., Boy Erased, Rabbit Hole).
Also, I doubt Meryl's record will be matched ever. If it happens it will be at something like the 200th ceremony by an actress who isn't even alive yet.
The biggest challenge to someone matching or coming close to Meryl, Katharine, or Bette is the rise in mini-series and television series. Actors are now splitting their time, even when they're in their Oscar prime (e.g., Viola Davis, Michelle Williams, etc.). It doesn't mean they're going to stop getting noms, but it will slow them down a lot. For example, I think Nicole and Cate Blanchett would have been nominees for their work in Big Little Lies and Mrs. America, respectively. Those were incredibly strong performances from them, but not Oscar eligible.
Yes- I believe the question should be who can possibly overtake Davis and Hepburn’s record nominations next rather than overtaking Streep. And yes, Nathaniel, Streep is completely capable of raking in at least 3 more nominations just this decade alone. (Her minimum nomination count in a decade is 4)
Streep’s career has been fascinating to watch. She still carries a lot of awe from her 80’s unprecedented nomination run & (of course) Sophie’s Choice. But just when she appears to be in a career dip, she has an amazing resiliency to bounce back. Most film careers, sadly, seem to have a 10 year shelf life or some have issues of reinventing themselves.
Streep seems to have been fortunate to do work in which she becomes “new” or attracts a fan base that was not there before? I am thinking of the early 90’s where she bounced back with Bridges of Madison County......then a dip... then 2002 with Adaptation.... 2006 with Devil Wears Prada.....sorry, but even Mamma Mia in 2008 brought world-wide attention- summer comedy queen for a bit.... all leading up to multiple nominations leading up to The Iron Lady win. And she is still box office royalty to be able to open films AND get projects made.
Laura Linney anyone?
I think that Glenn Close herself would rather skip this win and wait for a potential Sunset Boulevard coronation. (Is there a go fund me page)? After trudging forward through 8 nominations, does she really deserve a win via Zoom in her house, at the worst possible ceremony, no applause, walk to the podium, standing ovation, etc. She’d probably wouldn’t want an obit with Oscar & Mamaw in the same sentence either. I can hold out for a brighter future and give this one a thanks, but no thanks.
A quando una nuova nomination (la 5°) per Dame Emma Thompson?
@Tom, Glenn has participated in everything and has a performance that many people, just general audiences, like. While all of her insta vids and interviews might just be for show, it sounds like she's really excited about the reception to this performance. I don't think she's embrassed at all.
Curious to see how many more Amy Adams can get. Amongst the least competent of the "Demi-Goddesses" she has consistently gotten the Academy's favor...
Both Cate and Kate will get more noms and wins. Nightmare Alley sounds like a treat for any Blanchettfan, like myself
Kidman has to break it off with Murphy. He is poison to her creative expression
I agree with you guys that Youn should with best supporting actress. Hoping Glenn will get some more nods and a win for a movie people actually like. Glenn Close has been nominated 3 times for mediocre/ bad movies like Albert Nodds, The Wife and Hilbilly Elegy. That is quite an accomplishment! So the Academy really like her
But back to Blanchett. She has in the last couple of years been talking about quitting. Hopefully that will never happen. But it sounds very Cate to do that. Taking a long break from movie acting and do masterclasses, theater or other stuff to challenge herself and widen her incredible horizon
Amy next for Dear Evan Hansen, perhaps?
:)
I'm not sure why everyone seems so sure that a) Sunset Blvd will even get made (Glenn herself said last fall they're still "waiting for a green light" b) will be good (who knows?) c) Would give Glenn THAT much of a leg-up on the competition. How many people actually win Oscars for musicals these days?
@Melvel: Linney is one of my favorites, but she seems to have hit a patch like Glenn where she's doing great TV work but not landing the plum film roles. Hopefully she can get back in the thick of things in the future.
Sorry - I can’t help myself. Marsha Mason. 4 noms
mmm I miss Penelope Cruz in the 3 timers that could reasonably make a 4th. Look no further than next year's new Almodovar for her next chance.
@whunk, add to that the fact that Sunset is a pretty bad musical. It barely works, but only because of the Norma moments. I saw Glenn onstage in 2017, and while she's amazing, the musical mostly stinks.
I also think that critics would sharpen their knives to take her down, since she's about 20 years old than Norma. As a big Glenn fan, I'd rather that film not get made - I think it would be toxic for her.
.... love this ! I think we will be surprised in how much the women in the industry now will shift the narrative towards interesting parts for older actresses in the coming years (...McDormand, Foster..) and that hopefully will put a spotlight on Pfeiffer, Weaver, S.Stone (love to see her back !)
@Nathaniel Frances pulled it off! Curious to hear where you think she falls now. Top 10?