Awards don’t just win an actor a trophy. In some cases, winning an award can set up an actor for success. It can even grant them leverage when negotiating for their next movie. It's always interesting to learn about which actors have the most Academy Awards or Emmys.
However, what’s even more impressive are those few actors who have won them all – an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and a Tony. Collectively, this honor is known as the "EGOT" and there are several actors who are just one award away from achieving it.
Hugh Jackman
This Australian actor won an Emmy for his performance at The 58th Annual Tony Awards. Hugh Jackman also won a Tony for his lead actor role in the musical The Boy from Oz. He also received a Special Tony Award in 2012.
At the same time, Jackman received a Grammy for the soundtrack to the hit film The Greatest Showman, where he memorably played circus founder P.T. Barnum. Today, all Jackman needs is an Oscar to complete his EGOT. He came quite close in 2013 when he was nominated for his performance in the onscreen adaptation of Les Misérables.
Common
As an actor who started out as a musician, Common has collected a number of Grammy nominations and wins. Among these wins is one for his work on the song "Glory" for the 2014 movie Selma. Coincidentally, it’s also the same song that resulted in an Oscar award for the singer/actor.
At the moment, Common just needs a Tony to complete his EGOT. And since this man has a successful music background, fans are guessing it’s only a matter of time before he finds himself doing a musical.
Frances McDormand
This veteran actress earned an Emmy for her performance as the titular character in the limited series, Olive Kitteridge. As for her other awards, Frances McDormand won her first Best Actress Oscar for her leading performance in Fargo.
In addition, she also went on to win another Oscar for her role in the 2017 drama Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. McDormand has also dabbled in theater over the years and in 2011, she received a Tony Award for her lead actress role in the play Good People.
Ellen Burstyn
Ellen Burstyn won an Oscar early on in her career for her performance as the lead character in the 1975 film Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore. Just a few years later, she received a Tony for the film Same Time, Next Year.
The veteran actress scored her first Emmy for her guest performance in the long-running crime drama, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. This was followed up with another Emmy win several years later for her portrayal of Margaret Barnish Worthington in the miniseries Political Animals. Now, all she needs is a Grammy.
Maggie Smith
Fans may best recognize Smith as Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter movies. Years before she even decided to take on the role, Smith earned a Best Actress Oscar for her performance in the 1969 film, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.
One decade later, Smith earned another Oscar for the film A Room with a View. Later, she earned three Emmys, including two for her performance in Downton Abbey. In addition, she got a Tony for the play Lettice and Lovage. Now, Smith just needs a Grammy.
Julie Andrews
Even today, Julie Andrews is best known for her portrayal of Maria in the 1965 classic, The Sound of Music. Unbelievably, however, she failed to earn an Oscar for her performance in the movie (she got a nomination though).
Just a year earlier though, she did win an Oscar for Mary Poppins. Over the years, Andrews would also go on to receive multiple Emmy nominations and two wins, including one for The Julie Andrews Hour. As one might expect, she also has multiple Grammy wins. Meanwhile, Andrews has received several Tony nods, but she is yet to win.
Lily Tomlin
Today, Lily Tomlin is best known for being one of the titular characters in the Netflix series, Grace and Frankie, for which she got Emmy nods. That said, it’s also worth noting that Tomlin already has several Emmy awards, including one for narrating the documentary, An Apology to Elephants.
Early on in her career, Tomlin also received a Grammy for the album This Is a Recording. She also once played the lead role in the play, The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe, which won her a Tony.
Helen Mirren
Especially in recent years, audiences have seen this veteran actress expand her range further, as she worked on films such as The Fast and Furious movies and its spinoff, Hobbs & Shaw. As far as awards go, Mirren won an Oscar for her performance as the titular character in The Queen.
The actress has also earned several Emmy wins over time, most recently for her performance in Phil Spector. Throughout her career, Mirren has also dabbled in the theater several times, eventually winning a Tony for the play, The Audience.
Kate Winslet
Winslet rose to fame for her performance in Titanic, although she failed to earn an Oscar for the movie. Instead, she received one for The Reader. On the other hand, Winslet won a Primetime Emmy for playing the titular character in the mini-series, Mildred Pierce.
Perhaps unbeknownst to many, she also earned a Grammy for children’s spoken word album, Listen to the Storyteller. And now that she’s so close to an EGOT, Winslet reveals that her son is excited at the thought. She told Reuters, “So since he has learned about this ‘EGOT’ thing, he’s like, ‘Mum you’ve gotta do it.’”
Viola Davis
In recent years, Davis won a lot of praise for her performance as Annalise Keating in How to Get Away with Murder, a show that also won her an Emmy. Meanwhile, the actress has also received an Oscar for Fences.
Davis also won a Tony for her performance in the Broadway version of Fences. In addition, she won another Tony back in 2001 for the play, King Hedley II. At the moment, all Davis needs is a Grammy to become a member of the EGOT club.