Which actor has appeared in the most Oscar winning Best Picture Films?

Answer 1

Jack Nicholson is the only actor with 10 Best Picture nominated movies. 3 of them won the Oscar (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Terms of Endearment, The Departed). The second spot holders are Gary Cooper and William Holden with 9 Best Picture nominated movies. Each with one Best Picture-winning movie (Wings, the first winner, for Cooper, The Bridge on the River Kwai for Holden). Olivia de Havilland holds the actresses' number one spot, with 8 Best Picture nominated movies. Only Gone with the Wind won the Oscar. There are several actresses with 7 Best Picture nominated movies, and quite a few actors with 8. One should take under consideration that there were years with more than five Best Picture nominees. (Living actors with 8: Harrison Ford, Dustin Hoffman) Jack Nicholson isn't the only one to appear in 3 Best Picture winners. Just to name three others: Dustin Hoffman (Midnight Cowboy, Kramer vs. Kramer, Rain Man), Trevor Howard (Around the World in Eighty Days, Lawrence of Arabia, Gandhi) and Diane Keaton (The Godfather, The Godfather II, Annie Hall).

Answer 2

Wallis Clark, Franklyn Farnum and Bess Flowers appeared in 5 Best Picutre winners.

Edwin Maxwell in 4.

Here's a list of more familiar names of actors and actresses who appeared in 3 Best Picture winners:

Clark Gable: It Happened One Night (1934), Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) and Gone with the Wind (1939)

Donald Crisp: Mustiny on the Bounty (1935), The Life of Emil Zola (1937) and How Green Was My Valley (1941)

Jack Hawkins: The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), Ben-Hur (1959) and Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

Hugh Griffiths: Ben-Hur (1959), Tom Jones (1963) and Oliver! (1968)

John Cazale: The Godfather (1972), The Godfather: Part II (1974) and The Deer Hunter (1978). [He died in 1978, appearing in just two other movies, which were also nominated for Best Picture: The Conversation (1974) and Dog Day Afternoon (1975).]

John Gielgud: Around the World in 80 Days (1956), Chariots of Fire (1981) and Gandhi (1982)

Trevor Howard: Around the World in 80 Days (1956), Lawrence of Arabia (1962) and Gandhi (1982)

Dustin Hoffman: Midnight Cowboy (1968), Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) and Rain Man (1988)

Bernard Hill: Gandhi (1982), Titanic (1997) and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

Morgan Freeman: Driving Miss Daisy (1989), Unforgiven (1992) and Million Dollar Baby (2004)

Jack Nicholson: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), Terms of Endearment (1983) and The Departed (2006)

Shirley MacLaine: Around the World in 80 Days (1956), The Apartment (1960 and Terms of Endearment (1983).

Talia Shire: The Godfather (1972), The Godfather: Part II (1974) and Rocky (1976).

Diane Keaton: The Godfather (1972), The Godfather: Part II (1974) and Annie Hall (1977).

Meryl Streep: The Deer Hunter (1978), Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) and Out of Africa (1985).

Ralph Fiennes: Schindler's List (1993), The English Patient (1996), The Hurt Locker (2009).

Colin Firth: The English Patient (1996), Shakespeare in Love (1998), The King's Speech (2010).

Answer 3

Bess Flowers, an actress and movie extra, appeared in 22 films that were nominated for Best Picture (Oscar winners in bold):

• "It Happened One Night" (1934).
• "Anthony Adverse" (1936).
• "Dodsworth" (1936).
• "Mr. Deeds Goes to Town" (1936).
• "The Awful Truth" (1937).
• "In Old Chicago" (1937).
• "One Hundred Men and a Girl" (1937).
• "You Can't Take It With You" (1938).
• "Love Affair" (1939).
• "Ninotchka" (1939).
• "Heaven Can Wait" (1943).
• "Watch on the Rhine" (1943).
• "Double Indemnity" (1944).
• "Mildred Pierce" (1945).
• "The Razor's Edge" (1946).
• "All About Eve" (1950).
• "Father of the Bride" (1950).
• "A Place in the Sun" (1951).
• "The Greatest Show on Earth" (1952).
• "Around the World in Eighty Days" (1956)
• "Witness for the Prosecution" (1957).
• "Judgment at Nuremberg" (1961).

Veteran character actor Ward Bond appeared in 11 movies that were nominated for Best Picture. (Oscar winners in bold):

• "Arrowsmith" (1931/1932).
• "Lady for a Day" (1933).
• "It Happened One Night" (1934).
• "You Can't Take It With You" (1938).
• "Gone With the Wind" (1939).
• "The Grapes of Wrath" (1940).
• "The Maltese Falcon" (1941).
• "Sergeant York" (1941).
• "It's a Wonderful Life" (1946).
• "The Quiet Man" (1952).
• "Mister Roberts" (1955).

The record for appearances in the most Best Picture winners was set by Franklyn Farnum, an actor and movie extra who appeared in six:

• "The Life of Emile Zola" (1937)
• "The Lost Weekend" (1945).
• "Gentleman's Agreement" (1947).
• "All About Eve" (1950).
• "The Greatest Show on Earth" (1952).
• "Around the World in Eighty Days" (1956).