To say you're a "three, four, or five-time Academy Award-nominated actor" is an especially desirable accolade. When those nominations are one after another, it keeps the actor relevant. Bradley Cooper's Oscar losing streak comprises him being nominated three times in a row for Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle, and American Sniper from 2012 to 2014. 10 years later he's still one of the most in-demand actors, although he has still not won Hollywood's most coveted award. On the other hand, seven actors from the Golden Age of Hollywood share the distinction of having four or five Oscar nominations back-to-back.
7 Bette Davis
Best Known For: Now, Voyager (1942), All About Eve (1950), & What Ever Happened To Baby Jane? (1962)
Bette Davis is synonymous with old Hollywood royalty. She made America fall in love with her over and over again on screen, but she also made them respect her as an actress in command of her craft. This was especially true between the years 1939 to 1943, when Davis was nominated for Best Actress five times in a row for Jezebel, Dark Victory, The Letter, The Little Foxes, and Now, Voyager. These roles were vastly different and truly showcased Davis's range as an actress, portraying a sick socialite, a merciless matriarch, and a wealthy woman embroiled in a murder plot.
By the time she passed away in 1989 at the age of 81, Davis had racked up a whopping 10 Oscar acting nominations.
Davis could have extended this to seven consecutive nominations in a row, but she took a hiatus in 1944 between her 1943 nomination for Now, Voyager, and her 1945 nomination for Mr. Skeffington. Unfortunately, the acclaimed actress never won again after her remarkable streak of nominations in the late 1930s and early 1940s. The movies that defined Bette Davis' career over the decades and made her a legacy in American cinema and catnip for the Academy. By the time she passed away in 1989 at the age of 81, Davis had racked up a whopping 10 Oscar acting nominations.
6 Greer Garson
Best Known For: Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939), Pride And Prejudice (1940), & Mrs. Miniver (1942)
Greer Garson may not be as well known as Davis, but she tied with her fellow Hollywood legend for the most consecutive nominations at the Academy Awards. Garson was a huge star for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, during a time when actors were contracted to work solely for big studios. Her nomination streak started in 1942 and ended in 1946, overlapping multiple times with Davis' steak. Garson's performances in Blossoms in the Dust, Mrs. Miniver, Madame Curie, Mrs. Parkington, and Valley Of Decision earned her five nominations in a row from the Academy, roles just as meaty as Davis'.
Garson was equally deserving of those nominations; however, it was her role as a British homemaker in Mrs. Miniver that earned the actress her first golden statue. Garson also made history with the longest acceptance speech in Oscar's history at 7 minutes (via oscars.org) in 1943 at the 15th Academy Awards — she's the reason the 45-second-long speech rule was instituted by The Academy. Greer's legacy endures with her being the fourth most nominated woman for Best Actress of all time, with seven nominations total. Yet she'll always be remembered for breaking records with her "nemesis" BDavis for those five back-to-back nominations.
5 Jennifer Jones
Best Known For: The Song Of Bernadette (1943), Since You Went Away (1944), &The Towering Inferno (1974)
Jennifer Jones was well known for not just being an incredible actress but for her work in mental health advocacy. Her peak popularity was in the 1940s, when she was nominated four times in a row, from 1944 to 1947 for Song of Bernadette, Since You Went Away, Love Letters, and Duel in the Sun. She broke her streak in 1948, but still ended her career with five nominations total. Her last would be for Best Actress in 1956 for Love is a Many-Splendored Thing. Long after her streak was over, Jones still impressed audiences by starring in the Best Picture nominee The Towering Inferno.
While Jones' four back-to-back Oscar nominations are impressive, she actually won the first time she was nominated, joining the likes of Julie Andrews, Barbra Streisand, and Lupita Nyong'o. It was her emotional performance playing a teenager who has visions of the Virgin Mary in The Song of Bernadette that earned her the Best Actress trophy in 1944. Her 25th birthday also just so happened to be on the night she won her first Oscar. It was not only the perfect birthday present but a great triumph for the young actress to win on the occasion of her first nomination.
4 Thelma Ritter
Best Known For: All About Eve (1950), The Mating Season (1951), & Rear Window (1954)
It took character actress Thelma Ritter a little less than 10 years to get shockingly close to the impressive streak title held by both Davis and Garson during the WWII era. It wasn't until the 1950s, specifically from 1951 to 1954, that she received four consecutive nominations. Her stunning performances in All About Eve, The Mating Game, With a Song in My Heart, and Pickup on South Street impressed the Academy enough to continue churning out nominations. Ironically, Ritter starred alongside Davis in All About Eve.
Ritter would end her career with six Academy Award nominations total, most of them in the Best Supporting Actress category.
Both Hollywood actresses were nominated for their showy scenes in All About Eve, with Davis up for Best Actress and Ritter trying to secure the Best Supporting Actress trophy in 1951 (neither of them won). Ritter would end her career with six Academy Award nominations total, most of them in the Best Supporting Actress category. She'll always be remembered most for her strong New York City accent, pint-sized stature, and ability to make the viewer fall in love with and root for more working-class characters — a big feat at the height of Hollywood glamor.
3 Marlon Brando
Best Known For: On The Waterfront (1954), The Godfather (1972), & Apocalypse Now (1979)
Marlon Brando is the epitome of a Hollywood leading man, commanding every scene he is in with an unrivaled gravitas. Brando may be known for his brooding charm, deep voice, and being the dictionary definition of tall, dark, and handsome. Yet he's also known for his incredible acting skills, which earned him four back-to-back nominations in the 1950s. From 1952 to 1955, Brando was acknowledged by the Academy for his performances in A Streetcar Named Desire, Viva Zapata, Julius Caesar, and On The Waterfront.
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Brando then wouldn't be nominated for another three years in 1958 for Sayonara, and it would take another 15 years after that before he was nominated again (and won) for his iconic role as Italian mobster Don Vito Corleone in 1973 for The Godfather.Brando also accomplished a second Oscar streak when he was nominated in Last Tango in Paris the following year. His last Oscar nomination wouldn't be until 1990 and the only time he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor instead of Leading for A Dry White Season.
2 Elizabeth Taylor
Best Known For: Suddenly, Last Summer (1959), Cleopatra (1963), & Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
Few actresses create the same picture of Hollywood glamour as Elizabeth Taylor. She was widely known for her controversial love life and on-screen relationships that extended off-screen; she married eight times, twice to her Cleopatra co-star Richard Burton. She is also lauded for her incredible five Oscar nominations over the course of her career, four of which were back-to-back. From 1958 to 1961, Taylor was nominated for her roles in Raintree County, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Suddenly Last Summer, and BUtterfield 8. Her last nomination would be for her role in 1967 for Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
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Taylor actually thought her first Oscar win for BUtterfield 8 was just a sympathy award, after she had publicly dealt with a severe care of pneumonia and had a difficult tracheotomy. The iconic actress believed her performance was not that stellar or deserving and that, as her fourth nomination in a row coupled with her health issues, the Academy tallied up enough pity votes for her to be standing on that stage. Regardless if that's true or not, Taylor still has a note-worthy Oscar nomination streak to be proud of.
1 Al Pacino
Best Known For: The Godfather (1972), Serpico (1973), & Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
Al Pacino is one of the few massively famous old Hollywood actors who have remained popular and esteemed throughout their film appearances over the decades. Yet film critics can all agree the height of Pacino's career was in the 1970s when he was nominated for an Academy Award four years in a row. From 1973 to 1976, he was nominated for his roles in The Godfather, Serpico, Godfather Pt. II, and Dog Day Afternoon. Coincidentally, he played the son and successor of Brando's character in The Godfather.
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Both Pacino and Brando gained the title of being nominated for an Oscar four times in a row — just 20 years apart. Pacino would beat Brando for the highest number of nominations in his career, with nine total. Most recently was in 2020 for a Best Supporting Actor nomination in The Irishman. Having so many consecutive nominations is not as common now as it was in the 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, due to the talent pool being much larger. But for Pacino to have so many Academy Awards throughout the decades shows his career has stood the test of time.
Source: oscars.org
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