Walter Brennan owns the record for the most wins in the Best Supporting Actor category. He took home the gold three times. It is a high bar. But he isn’t alone at the top of that specific leaderboard. Several other actors have climbed the same peak. They have won twice.
Here is how the field stacks up behind Brennan.
The Double Winners
Most of the names on this list have exactly two Oscars. They are the elite of the ensemble cast.
Anthony Quinn started the trend of double wins in the early 50s. He won for Viva Zapata! in 1952. He closed out the decade with a second win for Lust for Life in 1956.
Peter Ustinov claimed his spots in the 60s. He won for Spartacus in 1960. Four years later, he took home the statue again for Topkapi.
Melvyn Douglas won for Hud in 1963. His second award came much later, for Being There in 1979. That is a 16-year gap between wins.
Jason Robards is another actor with two statues. He won for All the President’s Men in 1976. He followed it up with Julia in 1977. Back-to-back years.
Michael Caine joined the club in the 80s. He won for Hannah and Her Sisters in 1986. He secured his second Oscar for The Cider House Rules in 1999.
Christoph Waltz made it in the 21st century. He won for Inglourious Basterds in 2009. Then Django Unchained gave him his second win in 2012.
Mahershala Ali is the most recent double winner. He won for Moonlight in 2016. Two years later, he took home the award for Green Book.
The Record Holder
Brennan’s three wins stand alone. He won for Come and Get It in 1936. He followed that with Kentucky in 1938. His third and final win came for The Westerner in 1940.
No one else has matched that number. The runners-up are all at two. The gap is clear. Brennan remains the king of the supporting actor category.
It is hard to imagine anyone breaking that record. The landscape of Hollywood has changed. Supporting roles are different now. But Brennan’s name stays at the top.
