Every Movie That Received Five Acting Nominations at the Oscars

Out of all the prestigious awards at the Academy Awards, few are in such high contention as the acting categories; Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress. Many of the best films in a given year find themselves vying for nominations in even a single one of these categories, with only the most beloved of films finding themselves being nominated in multiple acting categories. Some films, however, find ways to go above and beyond, earning high amounts of nominations in these categories and entering an exclusive club belonging to a small selection of films.

From awards frontrunners and Best Picture winners to films that simply had a widely beloved ensemble cast, it takes a special type of film to receive 5 nominations in these acting awards. It always requires double-dipping and sometimes even triple-dipping in a singular category, a feat that speaks as much about the film’s massive strengths as it does the competition that it went up against. While many films have earned 4 acting nominations over the years, earning 5 nominations is a feat that hasn’t been seen in over 45 years.

9 ‘Mrs. Miniver’ (1942)

15th Academy Awards

Mrs. Miniver is a romantic wartime drama that follows middle-class housewife Kay Miniver dealing with the repercussions of her son’s marriage to local nobility and subsequent joining of the war effort. The film made massive waves at the time in its ability to relate and connect to the average American during a difficult wartime period, showing how the war effort can find its way into one’s own backyard. While it’s easy to look back on the film as a clear propaganda tool nowadays, it was a massive hit among general audiences and The Academy during its release.

The film achieved a nomination in each of the four acting categories, with Greer Garson winning Best Lead Actress for her portrayal of Kay Miniver and Teresa Wright winning Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Carol Beldon. Other nominations included a Best Lead Actor nomination for Walter Pidgeon as Clem Miniver, a Best Supporting Actor nomination for Henry Travers as Mr. Ballard, and a second Best Supporting Actress nomination for May Whitty as Lady Beldon.

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8 ‘All About Eve’ (1950)

23rd Academy Awards

Tied for being the most nominated movie in all of Oscar History, All About Eve follows Eve Harrington, an up-and-coming actress determined to make her way to the spotlight, even if it means stealing it from the great actress Margo Channing. Eve begins to do all that she can to take away Margo’s Broadway role, from innocuously becoming a star herself to creating tension and turmoil in the lives of Margo’s coworkers and family. However, the one person who sees through Eve’s plan and threatens to stop it all is a cynical drama critic.

All About Eve is a film that is filled to the brim with iconic stars and characters, so it’s no wonder that a great number of the key players would find themselves receiving nominations. Of its 5 nominations, the film would only end up winning a single acting award, with George Sanders winning Best Supporting Actor for his role as Addison DeWitt. On top of this win, All About Eve would double up on double nominations themselves, receiving two nominations for Best Actress (Anne Baxter as Eve and Bette Davis as Margo), and two nominations for Best Supporting Actress (Celeste Holm as Karen Richards and Thelma Ritter as Birdie).

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7 ‘From Here to Eternity’ (1953)

26th Academy Awards

From Here to Eternity is another Best Picture-winning romance film taking place on a military base in 1941 Hawaii, following a number of unexpected romances from its wide cast of characters. Using the backdrop of war, the film provides a look into the lives of those ranging from the lowest private in the pecking order to the adultery committed between a captain’s wife and his second in command.

Especially for a film whose major claim to fame is its multitude of contrasting and inter-spliced storylines, it makes sense that a large portion of the cast would get their own nominations for recognition. The film would win both of the Supporting categories, with Frank Sinatra winning Best Supporting Actor as Private Angelo Maggio, and Donna Reed winning Best Supporting Actress as Alma Burke. Other nominations would include a nomination for Best Actress for Deborah Kerr as Karen Holmes, and a double nomination for Best Actor, for Montgomery Clift as Private Prewitt and Burt Lancaster as Sergeant Warden.

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6 ‘On the Waterfront’ (1954)

27th Academy Awards

One of the many legendary collaborations between Elia Kazan and Marlon Brando, On the Waterfront sees Brando as Terry Malloy, a young roughneck with big dreams about being a prizefighter. However, he ends up spending most of his days tending to pigeons and running errands at the docks, but after witnessing a murder by two of his boss’s thugs, he begins to feel guilt about the death. Things are further complicated when Terry begins to form a genuine relationship with the dead man’s sister, and may be the only person who can provide justice, at the cost of his livelihood.

On the Waterfront was a smash hit at the 27th Academy Awards, with the acting categories being only just a select few of the massive 12 nominees and 8 wins that the film would receive overall. Most prominently, Brando would end up winning Best Actor while Eva Marie Saint would win Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Edie Doyle. Outside these wins, the film would also earn three separate nominations for Best Supporting Actor, although Lee J. Cobb, Karl Malden, and Rod Steiger would all lose out to Edmond O’Brien’s performance in The Barefoot Contessa.

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5 ‘Peyton Place’ (1957)

30th Academy Awards

The first film to achieve 5 acting nominations without winning Best Picture, Peyton Place follows a number of romances that affect the titular community of Peyton Place. Shopkeeper Constance McKenzie is attempting to make up for past misdeeds by adopting a prudish and dismissive attitude towards all things sexual in nature. However, when a handsome new teacher joins the community, Constance can’t help but find herself falling for his charms, while at the same time, a similar love story finds itself blossoming between Constance’s illegitimate daughter Allison and innocent Norman.

Much like with From Here to Eternity in the past, having a romantic drama focusing on a collection of different relationships lends itself to a wide number of main characters each deserving of recognition. The film would end up receiving double nominations for both Supporting Actor (Arthur Kennedy as Lucas Cross and Russ Tamblyn as Norman) and Supporting Actress (Hope Lange as Selena Cross and Diane Varsi as Allison). Alongside Lana Turner‘s nomination for Best Actress as Constance, the film would end up not winning any of these acting awards.

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4 ‘Tom Jones’ (1963)

36th Academy Awards

Most often recognized as the raunchiest Best Picture winner of all time, Tom Jones follows the titular Tom as he attempts to do all he can to win over the love of his life, Sophie. However, even though Sophie has the same romantic feelings towards Tom, their differing social classes disallow them from ever being together. The duo attempt to do everything that they can to circumnavigate the difficulties of their respective families and communities so that they can spend the rest of their lives together.

Despite winning Best Picture, Tom Jones surprisingly wouldn’t end up taking home the win for any of its 5 acting award nominations. However, it still managed to achieve the miraculous feat of being triple nominated for Best Supporting Actress, with nominations for Diane Cilento, Edith Evans, and Joyce Redman. The film also received a Best Actor nomination for Albert Finney as Tom Jones, and a Best Supporting Actor nomination for Hugh Griffith as Squire Western.

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3 ‘Bonnie and Clyde’ (1967)

40th Academy Awards

One of the most iconic crime dramas of all time, Bonnie and Clyde followed the titular 1930s duo of waitress Bonnie and ex-con Clyde, who embark on a crime-filled journey of love and violence. As they travel across the countryside stealing cars and robbing banks, they attain an increasingly massive target on their backs, being chased and persecuted by police around every corner. However, their love proves to keep them going no matter how dangerous their journey is.

While the film didn’t end up taking home the award for Best Picture, this didn’t stop it from being an immediate influential juggernaut, helping it attain its 5 acting nominations alongside 5 other nominations. It achieved nominations in all 4 acting categories and would end up taking home the win for Best Supporting Actress for Estelle Parsons‘s performance as Blanche. Other acting nominations included Best Actor and Best Actress nominations for Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway as Bonnie and Clyde, and a double nomination for Best Supporting Actor for Gene Hackman and Michael J. Pollard.

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2 ‘The Godfather: Part II’ (1974)

47th Academy Awards

Often in conversations as one of the greatest movies of all time, The Godfather: Part II miraculously was able to live up to and continue the already monumental legacy of the Best Picture-winning original film. The film managed to even one-up the original when it came to the number of nominations and wins, with the original earning 10 nominations and 3 wins while Part II received 11 nominations and 6 wins.

While the two films often go hand in hand, it was the sequel’s frequent switching between time periods that gave it more credible choices for actors and actresses to be nominated. The most notable acting nomination and win for the film was Robert De Niro‘s Best Supporting Actor win for his role as the young Vito Corleone, beating out the film’s two other nominations for Best Supporting Actor for Michael V. Gazzo and Lee Strasberg. Other acting nominations that the films would receive included Al Pacino‘s nomination for Best Actor and Talia Shire‘s nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

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1 ‘Network’ (1976)

49th Academy Awards

One of many masterpieces to come from director Sidney Lumet, Network follows the story of veteran anchorman Howard Beale, forced to retire after 25 years because of his old age. In learning about his forced retirement, Beale makes a statement that he will kill himself live on air during his farewell broadcast. This ironically, manages to have the network executives rethinking their decision, as Beale’s statement created a massive spike in ratings for the station.

While the film would end up losing Best Picture to Rocky, Network still holds the incredible record for being the closest a single film has been to winning all 4 acting categories, winning 3 out of 4. The film would take home wins with Peter Finch for Best Actor as Howard Beale, Faye Dunaway for Best Actress as Diana Christensen, and Beatrice Straight for Best Supporting Actress as Louise Schumacher. The film would also receive a second nomination for Best Actor for William Holden as Max Schumacher and a nomination for Best Supporting Actor for Ned Beatty as Arthur Jensen.

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NEXT: The 10 Actors With the Most Oscar Nominations