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The World's Worsts
A Compendium of the Most Ridiculous Feats, Facts, & Fools of All Time
Chapter One
People
ACADEMY AWARDS
Most Prominent "Losers"
In 2002 the Motion Picture Academy finally righted a wrong and gave Peter O'Toole an honorary Oscar for his body of work. Along with the late Richard Burton, O'Toole shares the dubious honor of being the most nominated loser in the acting categories, with seven nominations apiece.
Many of the all-time greats in cinema remain Oscar also-rans, like Greta Garbo, Cary Grant, and Edward G. Robinson, to name just three of the more notable oversights. That said, winning an Oscar doesn't always guarantee lasting fame or decent roles. In the 1930s, Luise Rainer won back-to-back Oscars, but her career effectively ended shortly thereafter, giving rise to the Hollywood legend of an Oscar curse.
Curse or no curse, here are the actors who've racked up the most nominations without ever getting the chance to clasp the gold statuette and thank the Academy through grateful tears:
1. Richard Burton: 7 nominations
2. Peter O'Toole: 7 nominations
3. Deborah Kerr: 6 nominations
4. Thelma Ritter: 6 nominations | 5. Glenn Close: 5 nominations
6. Irene Dunne: 5 nominations
7. Albert Finney: 5 nominations
8. Arthur Kennedy: 5 nominations |
And the following 10 actors have each received 4 nominations: Jane Alexander, Warren Beatty, Charles Boyer, Montgomery Clift, Greta Garbo, Marsha Mason, Claude Rains, Mickey Rooney, Rosalind Russell, and Barbara Stanwyck.
The World's Worsts
A Compendium of the Most Ridiculous Feats, Facts, & Fools of All Time. Copyright © by Les Krantz. Reprinted by permission of HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. Available now wherever books are sold.
