9 Times Actor Pairs Portrayed The Same Characters In Different Roles And Were Nominated For An Oscar

The goal of the Oscars is to honor the best work

Maryjane

• Published in Film & TV
• February 15, 2023

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences selects recipients of the annual Oscars, commonly known as the Academy Awards, for outstanding film work. They are fiercely coveted by almost everyone in the film industry and are widely regarded as the most deserving honor in the industry.

Since their debut in 1929, the Oscars have grown to be the premier event for film awards. Nominated films or works are typically thought to be groundbreaking or exceptional.

Despite their large box office returns, action, fantasy, and science-fiction films frequently miss out on performance awards despite their popularity. No matter the genre or level of financial success, prizes should ideally be presented for excellence.

The Oscar nomination and selection procedure is handled with considerable care because it is a prestigious and significant prize. Every actor wants to win an Oscar, but for others, just being nominated is a great accomplishment.

An Oscar nomination can open doors to more ambitious projects, the kind with higher salaries and budgets, increasing the likelihood that they will receive another nomination. The likelihood that an actor will be nominated for Best Actor or Best Supporting Actor appears to grow with each character they perform.

Some Oscar nominees, though, played the same role. We now know which actors were nominated for the part and which actors won an Oscar for it. 

1. Rita Moreno and Ariana DeBose

Rita Moreno, who played Anita in "West Side Story," became the first Hispanic woman to win an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in 1962. DeBose's performance in the 2022 rendition of "West Side Story" earned her a nomination in the same category six years later.

2. Marlon Brando and Robert De Niro

Marlon Brando received the Oscar for Best Actor for his outstanding work in The Godfather as Vito Corleone, the head of the Corleone crime family. In "The Godfather: Part II," which was released in 1974, Robert De Niro took the lead role of a young Vito Corleone.

It came as no surprise that he also won an Oscar for the Best Supporting Actor.

3. Heath Ledger and Joaquin Phoenix

Actors Heath Ledger and Joaquin Phoenix both received Oscar nominations for playing the same role in various movies. After his untimely passing in January 2008, Ledger posthumously received the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in "The Dark Knight" in 2009.

Phoenix makes an appearance as the Batman villain in "Joker" more than ten years later. He won the Best Actor Oscar in 2020 for his performance.

4. John Wayne and Jeff Bridges

In True Grit, Rooster Cogburn was represented by John Wayne in 1968 and Jeff Bridges in 2010. Bridges left without receiving an Oscar, whereas Wayne did.

5. Cate Blanchett and Judi Dench

Both Cate Blanchett and Judi Dench received Oscar nominations for playing Queen Elizabeth, the same role. Shakespeare in Love's Judi Dench won Best Supporting Actress, while Elizabeth's Cate Blanchett was nominated for Best Actress.

6. Anthony Hopkins and Frank Langella

Former president Richard Nixon was portrayed by Anthony Hopkins in the 1995 film Nixon and by Frank Langella in the 2008 film Frost/Nixon. Although both men were up for Best Actor, neither won the award.

7. Kenneth Branagh and Laurence Olivier

Henry V was represented by Kenneth Branagh in 1989 and Laurence Olivier in 1944. They were nominated for Best Actor Oscars for their flawless performance.

8. Kate Winslet and Gloria Stuart

One of the all-time great films, "Titanic," featured the two women. Stuart portrayed the role of the woman near the end of her life, while Winslet portrayed her in her youth. Winslet for Best Actress and Stuart for Best Supporting Actress were both nominated.

9. Kate Winslet and Judi Dench

In "Iris," Kate Winslet and Judi Dench each played the title character at various points in her life. Dench for Best Actress and Winslet for Best Supporting Actress were both nominated in the same year.

An Oscar Award not only confers respect and international recognition, but it also significantly contributes to the success of the big winners. The goal of the Oscars is to honor the best work in terms of performance, production, and technical merit.

A nomination for an Academy Award can greatly advance a career, regardless of who ultimately takes home the trophy.

Maryjane