Not One, But Three (Sometimes More)
Winning an Oscar is tough. Adding an Emmy takes grit. Securing a Tony completes the circle. Only a handful of performers have managed this feat, and their stories shine with unmistakable brilliance.
Helen Hayes
Just picture someone collecting trophies before the idea of an EGOT even existed—that was Helen Hayes. She grabbed her Oscar way back in 1932, strolled off with a Tony in 1947, and casually pocketed an Emmy in 1953. No wonder folks called her the "First Lady of Theatre".
Thomas Mitchell
Thomas Mitchell was everywhere you turned. An Oscar winner? He had one from Stagecoach. Broadway star? That bagged him a Tony in 1953. TV legend? In the same year, he scooped up an Emmy. Oh, and he showed up in five different Best Picture champs, like he had a VIP pass.
NBC Television, Wikimedia Commons
Ingrid Bergman
Her career came to a close in 1982 with A Woman Called Golda, a moving farewell that earned an Emmy. Decades earlier, the stage had already crowned her brilliance with a Tony in 1947. And even before that, Gaslight brought her one of those coveted Oscars.
MGM photographer, Wikimedia Commons
Shirley Booth
Shirley Booth was proof that late bloomers can bloom brightest. She swept up an Oscar in 1953 for a role she'd already conquered on Broadway with a Tony. Then came TV, where she turned Hazel into an Emmy magnet. Stage and screen both felt like her playgrounds.
The Theatre Guild/photographer-Marcus Blechman. New York, Wikimedia Commons
Melvyn Douglas
Broadway audiences first clapped for Melvyn Douglas in The Best Man, which gave him a Tony. By 1968, television tipped its hat with an Emmy. The big screen also rightfully crowned him with Oscars for Hud and Being There.
Paul Scofield
Quiet by nature, Paul Scofield let his roles speak loudly for him. He first triumphed on Broadway with A Man for All Seasons in 1962, then repeated the success on film in 1966 with an Oscar. An Emmy followed soon after. A fun fact: he once turned down a knighthood.
Allan warren, Wikimedia Commons
Jack Albertson
The journey of Jack Albertson illustrates how a single role can resonate across multiple stages and screens. His work in The Subject Was Roses earned him a Tony Award in 1965 and an Academy Award in 1969. Later, television audiences welcomed him with an Emmy for Chico and the Man.
Rita Moreno
How many artists conquer every stage before turning fifty? Rita Moreno did. She earned an Oscar for West Side Story in 1962, secured a Tony for The Ritz in 1975, and scored back-to-back Emmys. By 45, she stood tall as the first Latina EGOT winner.
John Ferguson, Wikimedia Commons
Maureen Stapleton
Raw emotion defined Maureen Stapleton's acting. Stapleton won her Oscar in 1982 for Reds, already having two Tony wins behind her for The Rose Tattoo and The Gingerbread Lady. In 1967, she added an Emmy to prove her remarkable ability to bring both toughness and vulnerability to life.
Jason Robards
Back-to-back Oscars are rare, but Jason Robards achieved exactly that with All the President's Men in 1977 and Julia in 1978. A Tony win for The Disenchanted showcased his stage brilliance, while an Emmy for Inherit the Wind highlighted his commanding presence on television.
Roy Erickson / State Library and Archives of Florida, Wikimedia Commons
Jessica Tandy
Success didn't rush Jessica Tandy, but it eventually crowned her. She lit up Broadway in 1948 as Blanche DuBois by winning a Tony. Four decades later, she picked up an Emmy for Foxfire. In 1990, her Oscar for Driving Miss Daisy made her the oldest Best Actress winner.
Unknown photographer, Wikimedia Commons
Jeremy Irons
Not many actors transition from Shakespearean stage work to international acclaim as smoothly as Jeremy Irons. Trained at Bristol Old Vic, Jeremy Irons won a Tony in 1984 for The Real Thing. His Oscar came in 1991, and by 2006, he added an Emmy for Elizabeth I.
Georges Biard, Wikimedia Commons
Anne Bancroft
Audiences admired Anne Bancroft for her fearless roles. Playing Anne Sullivan in The Miracle Worker earned her a Tony and an Oscar. Much later, she secured an Emmy for Deep in My Heart in 1999. Movie fans also know her best as Mrs Robinson in The Graduate.
Twentieth Century-Fox studio, Wikimedia Commons
Vanessa Redgrave
There was always a boldness to Vanessa Redgrave. She captured the Oscar in 1978 for Julia, then claimed a Tony in 2003 for Long Day's Journey Into Night. An Emmy followed in 2000. Even though her outspoken activism stirred debate, her performances always carried extraordinary intensity.
Georges Biard, Wikimedia Commons
Maggie Smith
Few performers are instantly recognizable, and Maggie Smith is undoubtedly one of them. Smith claimed Oscars for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie and California Suite. A Tony win came with Lettice and Lovage, while Emmys for Downton Abbey secured her global fame. BAFTA honored her for decades.
Al Pacino
Intensity followed Al Pacino wherever he worked. After seven nominations, the Oscar finally landed in his hands in 1993 for Scent of a Woman. Long before that, he had earned two Tonys on stage. Then, in 2004, his Emmy win for Angels in America highlighted his lasting influence.
Kindly granted by Thomas Schulz from Vienna, Austria, Wikimedia Commons
Al Pacino (Cont.)
His style often drew on method acting by filling roles with raw energy and emotional depth. Memorable performances in The Godfather series and Dog Day Afternoon built his legend. Awards confirmed his greatness, but audiences connected most with the authenticity he carried into every part.
Embajada de EEUU en la Argentina (US Embassy of Argentina), Wikimedia Commons
Geoffrey Rush
The world first noticed Geoffrey Rush's brilliance in 1996 when Shine earned him an Oscar. Years later, Broadway applauded his daring performance in Exit the King by giving him a Tony. Television sealed the Triple Crown with the 2005 Emmy for The Life and Death of Peter Sellers.
Maximilian Bühn, Wikimedia Commons
Ellen Burstyn
Ellen Burstyn balanced power and tenderness like a pro. Her Oscar for Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore in 1974 displayed her dramatic force. The following year, she claimed a Tony for Same Time, Next Year. Much later, an Emmy for Law & Order: SVU affirmed her continuing relevance.
gdcgraphics at https://www.flickr.com/photos/gdcgraphics/, Wikimedia Commons
Helen Mirren
Royal roles became Helen Mirren's signature. She won her Oscar for The Queen by portraying Elizabeth II with striking realism. On stage, she carried the same monarch in The Audience, earning a Tony. Television crowned her with Emmys for Prime Suspect and Elizabeth I to secure her unique place in history.
Harald Krichel, Wikimedia Commons
Christopher Plummer
Christopher Plummer already had Tonys for Cyrano and Barrymore when television also embraced him by awarding Emmys for The Moneychangers and Madeline. Even in his nineties, he continued to perform. At 82, he made history by winning an Oscar for Beginners. Age could not dim his brilliance.
MiamiFilmFestival, Wikimedia Commons
Frances McDormand
Oscars for Fargo, Missouri, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, and Nomadland marked her film triumphs. Later, a Tony for Good People in 2011 and an Emmy for Olive Kitteridge confirmed her range. McDormand never needed flashy campaigns because audiences already recognized her as one of acting's most consistent voices.
Red Carpet Report on Mingle Media TV, Wikimedia Commons
Jessica Lange
Viewers first noticed Jessica Lange as a model, but her acting revealed something more profound. The Oscars she bagged were for Tootsie and Blue Sky. In 2016, she lit up Broadway with Long Day's Journey Into Night. Television then rewarded her with Emmys for American Horror Story and Grey Gardens.
Mingle MediaTV, Wikimedia Commons
Viola Davis
Broadway first felt her strength through King Hedley II and Fences. Television later honored her with an Emmy, and in 2023, a Grammy completed the circle. Viola Davis also claimed an Oscar for Fences, which cemented her remarkable place among history's EGOT winners.
Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, Wikimedia Commons
