In the near-century history of theOscars, there have only been three occasions where an actress has won the Best Actress award for portraying historical queens. Movies where a female monarch from history is put front-and-center have been a popular avenue explored again and again by Hollywood for decades.
Over the years, Hollywood films retold the stories of Catherine the Great, Cleopatra, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Queen Victoria, and more numerous times. And though this is a trend that the industry has yet to abandon, the list of actresses to receive the highest honor for that performance is considerably short. Interestingly, there have only been three times in Oscar history that an actress has won the Best Actress award for portraying a famous queen.
3Katharine Hepburn Won An Oscar In 1968 For Portraying Eleanor Of Aquitaine
Katharine Hepburn Starred In The Lion In Winter
Inone of the best movies of her career, Katharine Hepburn portrayed the regal Eleanor of Aquitaine in the 1968 historical dramaThe Lion In Winter.Directed by Anthony Harvery, the movie depicts the reign of Henry II of England and his attempts to secure a successor to the throne at Christmas 1183. Hepburn starred alongsidePeter O’Toole, who received his third Best Actor nominationfor his portrayal of Henry II. The movie depicts Henry and Eleanor’s tumultuous relationship, and their different plans to secure an heir to the throne.
The Lion In Winterwas met with high critical acclaim, receiving praise for its story, historical accuracy and performances. The movie received seven Academy Award nominations in 1968, including Best Picture, and won three.Katharine Hepburn’s performance of Eleanor of Aquitaine was considered one of the best of her careerand she won her third Academy Award for Best Actress for the role.
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In a surprising momentin the Oscar’s 96-year-history,Hepburn tied with Barbra Streisand for the Best Actress award; Streisand also won the award for her role as Fanny Brice inFunny Girl. This is the only time that a tie has ever taken place at the Oscars. With her win forThe Lion In Winter,Hepburn became the first actress to win three Best Actress awards, winning her fourth and final award in 1981. She remains the only actress to have won four Best Actress awards in Oscar history.
2Helen Mirren Won An Oscar In 2006 For Portraying Elizabeth II
Helen Mirren Starred In The Queen
Helen Mirren started her career on stage in 1965, playing the Egyptian queen, Cleopatra, in the Shakespearean tragedy,Antony and Cleopatra. She went on to have a very successful career in both film and television, before starringin the 2006 historical drama,The Queen,where she portrayed the then-Queen of England, Elizabeth II.The Queenis set in 1997 and depicts Elizabeth II struggling with the aftermath of Princess Diana’s death and its impact on the British royal family. As the public turns against her, Elizabeth must decide how to respond to the tragedy and realizes her country is changing.
To prepare for her role, Helen Mirren watched archival footage of Elizabeth II and took voice coaching classes to accurately recreate the queen’s speeches (viaEmanuel Levy).The Queenreceived a positive reception from critics and the British royal familyand is consideredone of Helen Mirren’s best movies. It received six Oscar nominations in 2007, with Helen Mirren winning Best Actress for her performance; in her acceptance speech, she called her award"the biggest and best gold star"of her career. Mirren also won a BAFTA, Golden Globe, SAG and Critics' Choice award for her performance as Elizabeth II.
1Olivia Colman Won An Oscar In 2018 For Portraying Queen Anne
Olivia Colman Starred In The Favourite
The Favouritewas released in 2018 and covers the reign of Queen Anne who ruled over England during the 18th century. The movie depicts the feud between cousins, Sarah Churchill (Rachel Weisz) and Abigail Hill (Emma Stone), who fight with each other to become the favourite of Queen Anne.Olivia Colman portrays Anne as an unstable queen, suffering from physical and mental illnessand, throughout the movie, relies on Sarah and later, Abigail, for support and comfort.The Favouriteisa movie that depicts female villains, with both women using the queen as their target to achieve success.
In production since 1998,The Favouritewas critically acclaimed, receiving praise for its performances, soundtrack, costume design and historical setting. The movie received multiple accolades, and won the Grand Jury Prize at the 75th Venice International Film Festival.The Favouritereceived 10 Oscar nominations in 2019, including Best Picture, and has since been labeledone of the best dark comedy movies ever made.
The Only 3 Actors To Win Best Actor Oscars For Portraying Kings
In the history of the Oscars, there have only been three occasions where actors won the Best Actor award for portraying prestigious kings.
Olivia Colman won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance as Queen Anne, which has since been regarded asone of the best of her career. She has since received further acclaim for her role as Queen Elizabeth II inThe Crownand has been Oscar-nominated for her roles inThe Father(2021) andThe Lost Daughter(2022). Since 2019, while there have been several actresses who won awards for portraying real people, there have been no further winners at theOscarsfor portraying historical queens.
Source:Emanuel Levy
Oscars
The Oscars, also known as The Academy Awards, is an annual awards show celebrating workers in the film industry for their artistic and technical abilities. The Oscars are often considered the most prestigious awards show in the industry and date back to 1929. The 96th Academy Awards will be held on June 15, 2025, and be hosted by Jimmy Kimmel on ABC.
