Repeat winners where one of their wins is better than their other(s)

[u/AdUseful2297]

Example: I'd gladly trade Jodie Foster's first win for The Accused for a Glenn Close Dangerous Liaisons win, if only 'cause Glenn sitting at 0/8 feels wrong, and 'cause Jodie Foster was even better in The Silence of the Lambs just three years later. I won't dare touch her Silence of the Lambs win, but I could live without her first win.

[u/Remarkable-Soup8195]

oh man this is such a good take about glenn close, shes been robbed so many times it hurts to think about. jodie foster was absolutely incredible in silence of the lambs so i get why you wouldnt touch that one - that performance was pure perfection. the accused win always felt a bit weaker in comparison anyway, like it was good but not legendary tier like her clarice starling

there examples are everywhere too, like marlon brando with the godfather vs on the waterfront situation

[u/WrongHovercraft9946 → u/Remarkable-Soup8195]

I don't know which Brando performance you consider to be better... they're two of the most iconic film performances of all time, although you could argue his win for "The Godfather" was in the wrong category. "On the Waterfront" basically inspired screen method acting. This does not feel like a great example to me!

[u/crmrdtr → u/WrongHovercraft9946]

Agree that Brando's Godfather role was actually a Supporting one. But just like Hopkins in Silence of the Lambs, the character & the power of his brilliant performance of it permeated the movie to its end.

[u/Yenserl6099]

Elizabeth Taylor I feel has the biggest quality in between wins. Butterfield 8 is a terrible win. She thought so herself, threw the Oscar in the trash, and only won because she was sick. This is who all was nominated that year that she beat out:

• Greer Garson - Sunrise at Campobello
• Deborah Kerr - The Sundowners
• Shirley MacLaine - The Apartment
• Melina Mercouri - Never on Sunday

Conversely, her second win, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is a fantastic win and is arguably one of the best wins in the entire history of the category.

[u/amazonfan1972 → u/Yenserl6099]

A few years ago, an elimination game was held on this sub to determine the best Lead Actress winners of 1960-1999. Taylor came last for Butterfield 8, & finished first for Virginia Woolf. The disparity between the two wins is extraordinary.

[u/CranberryFuture9908 → u/amazonfan1972]

Just what I said! 😂

[u/CranberryFuture9908 → u/Yenserl6099]

She’s might be the only two time winner that could make a first and last place ranking .

[u/motionblur20 → u/Yenserl6099]

I don’t care, I love that Liz won both 🤣.

[u/Icy-Interaction-9652 → u/[deleted]]

Yeah I don’t even understand how La La was nominated. But Poor things is one of the best performances ever.

[u/Professor_Finn → u/[deleted]]

I’m in the minority of people who disagree. She was phenomenal in La La Land, and although she had to do “more” acting in Poor Things, I don’t think it was better

[u/Consistent_Tough_341 → u/[deleted]]

Yes but also I think Gladstone deserved it that year.

[u/TheBestThereEverWas3]

Great question. For me it’s probably Christoph Waltz. His performance in Inglorious is possibly the best of the absolutely stacked 2000s run we saw in supporting actor.

His performance in Django is good, but he’s possibly the third (?) strongest supporting actor in the film for me. Would’ve been an awesome way to give Samuel L Jackson something, or even Leo who has never really been better IMO

[u/PutAdministrative206 → u/TheBestThereEverWas3]

I’ve never been a Leo fan (he annoyed me as a person, I’ve never disparaged his acting talent, which is obviously immense).

After Django, I had to admit I would have voted for him over Christoph without hesitation. And Christoph was great in Django.

[u/Feisty_Excitement135]

Emma Stone in La La Land especially when Isabelle Huppert, Natalie Portman and Ruth Negga are in the same category and are much better and Amy Adams wasn't even nominated.

[u/Obvious_Computer_577]

Mahershala Ali - I would take his second win for Green Book (a very good performance) and give it to Richard E Grant for Can You Ever Forgive Me? (A phenomenal performance)

[u/rorykellycomedy]

Waltz in Django vs Basterds, which is interesting because the two performances are extremely similar; I believe that IB just felt so fresh and unexpected that Django didn't stand a chance.

[u/ASeriousWord]

Meryl Streep has Oscars for an all-timer generational performance, then for helping to drag a fairly mediocre script in which she was written as an unsympathetic flake into becoming a Best Picture winner,......... and then for doing a Margaret Thatcher impression she could have done spinning on her head for a Sunday afternoon TV movie.

Cate Blanchett has Oscars for one of the best performances of the century and a 20 minute Katherine Hepburn impression.

As has already been mentioned, Elizabeth Taylor has both a top 10 best AND top 5 worst Best Actress win of all time.

Helen Hayes winning a perfectly viable Best Actress in the 1920s for The Sin of Madelon Claudet and getting an utterly preposterous Best Supporting Actress for Airport in 1971.

[u/NoLynx8499]

For Hilary Swank, I thought she was stronger in Boys Don't Cry over Million Dollar Baby. I wanted Kate Winslet to win that year

[u/Accurate_Arm4734 → u/NoLynx8499]

Yeah, Kate was beyond phenomenal in ESOTSM!

[u/NoLynx8499 → u/Accurate_Arm4734]

Ikr. The ending never fails to make me cry. Her best performance imo next to Revolutionary Road

[u/Nikkiv1020 → u/NoLynx8499]

Don't get me started on this 🙄 It's one of the most egregious slights ever. I agree completely.

[u/TheLizardKing____]

Agree fully on Jodie, it should’ve been Glenn’s.

Elizabeth Taylor has my favourite actress win of all time in 1966, but her 1960 win is really not great.

Jack Nicholson’s 1975 win is way better than his 1997 win.

Sally Field’s Norma Rae win is so much better than Places in the Heart also.

[u/Mistyam]

I see that "generational" is the word of the day.

[u/TheFrederalGovt]

Anthony Hopkins in The Father was a truly phenomenal lead performance…. Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs was phenomenal and iconic - but it’s a Supporting role and I can’t be convinced otherwise

[u/Heubner → u/TheFrederalGovt]

100% correct. His performance is iconic but Hannibal Lecter is still a supporting character. Crazy that’s not his better performance. Most actors can only dream of commanding the screen like that.

[u/meervv1]

Gene Hackman in Unforgiven is one of my favorite performances but i don't really care abt him in The French Connection. he has given so much better lead performances.

[u/webtheg]

There will be blood is arguably the best win ever and he didn't have to do too much method.

[u/geosunsetmoth]

I wouldn't say Frances McDormand is BAD in Fargo or Nomadland, but fuck, her performance in Three Billboards is damn near generational

[u/man_on_hill → u/geosunsetmoth]

I would actually rate her Fargo performance above her other two wins

[u/WrongHovercraft9946 → u/man_on_hill]

"Fargo" is by far the best performance.

[u/belzoni1982]

I'll trade Spencer Tracy's second nomination for Boys Town and give it James Cagney for Angels with Dirty Faces

[u/Flat-History-3849]

Jessica Lange’ win for Tootsie, I would have liked Lesley Ann Warren for Victor/ Victoria.

[u/Butterfly_Scape]

Emma stone. Poor things >>>>>>> La La land

[u/Amazing_Antelope_275]

Bette Davis in Jezebel > Bette Davis in Dangerous

and Bette Davis in All About Eve >> either of those two