Chain
From the Academy's rare double nods to the performances that earned them, this chain celebrates actors who competed against themselves in a single awards season.
The double nomination is one of the Academy's most tantalising quirks: an actor so dominant in a single year that the voters can't choose between their performances, so they nominate both. It's a rare honour, reserved for the fearless and the versatile, and it produces a fascinating filmography. This chain follows that thread, from the first double nod in 1938 to a modern masterclass in 2019, and it's a journey through some of the most daring acting of the past century.
We begin with Fay Bainter, who in 1938 became the first performer ever to receive two acting nominations in the same year, for White Banners and Jezebel. Bainter's supporting turn in Jezebel won her the Oscar, but it's her quiet, principled schoolteacher in White Banners that shows her range. From there we leap to Teresa Wright, who in 1942 earned simultaneous nods for The Pride of the Yankees and Mrs. Miniver, winning for the latter. Wright's gentle strength in both films made her the embodiment of wartime decency, and her double nomination set a standard for emotional transparency.
The chain then moves to the 1970s, where the double nomination became a playground for the bold. Jessica Lange's 1982 double nod, for Frances and Tootsie, is a study in contrasts: one a harrowing biopic, the other a screwball comedy. Lange's ability to swing from devastation to deadpan is the stuff of legend. Then comes Holly Hunter in 1993, nominated for both The Piano and The Firm. Hunter's fierce, wordless performance in The Piano is a landmark, but her sharp, wary secretary in The Firm proves she could hold her own in a slick thriller.
We close with two contemporary giants. Cate Blanchett's 2007 double nomination, for Elizabeth: The Golden Age and I'm Not There, shows her chameleon-like range, from regal authority to a gender-bending Bob Dylan. And finally, Scarlett Johansson's 2019 double nod, for Marriage Story and Jojo Rabbit, demonstrates how far the double nomination has come: one performance is a raw, gutting divorce drama, the other a satirical comedy with a Nazi Youth turn. Together, these eight films chart the evolution of the double nomination, and they remind us why we love actors who take risks.
Fay Bainter plays a warm, principled schoolteacher who becomes a surrogate mother to a struggling family, in a tender Depression-era drama.
White Banners → Jezebel
The Link
Bainter's supporting performance here, opposite Davis's fireworks, earned her the Oscar and completed the first ever double acting nomination in the same year.
Bette Davis stars as a headstrong Southern belle whose defiance leads to tragedy, with Bainter as the quietly formidable aunt.
Jezebel → The Pride of the Yankees
The Link
Wright's tender, understated work as the long-suffering spouse earned her a lead nomination, setting up her historic double.
Gary Cooper plays Lou Gehrig in this classic biopic, with Teresa Wright as his devoted wife, Eleanor.
The Pride of the Yankees → Mrs. Miniver
The Link
Wright's supporting turn in this home-front epic won her the Oscar, making her the second performer ever to be doubly nominated in a single year.
Greer Garson leads this wartime drama about a British family's resilience, with Wright as her daughter-in-law, Carol.
Mrs. Miniver → Frances
The Link
Lange's raw, unflinching portrayal of Farmer was a career peak, and it earned her a lead nomination that year.
Jessica Lange gives a devastating performance as actress Frances Farmer, whose life spirals into institutionalisation and tragedy.
Frances → Tootsie
The Link
Lange's comedic timing and warmth in this gender-bending comedy earned her a supporting nomination, making her the first performer in 40 years to achieve a double nod.
Dustin Hoffman plays an actor who becomes a soap opera star by pretending to be a woman, with Lange as his love interest, Julie.
Tootsie → The Piano
The Link
Hunter's wordless, expressive performance is a masterclass in physical acting, and it won her the Oscar for Best Actress.
Holly Hunter plays a mute pianist who is sold into marriage in colonial New Zealand, in Jane Campion's Palme d'Or winner.
The Piano → The Firm
The Link
Hunter's tough, no-nonsense turn in this legal thriller earned her a supporting nomination, completing her own double in the same year.
Tom Cruise plays a young lawyer who discovers his firm is a front for the mob, with Hunter as the sharp, suspicious secretary.
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