which actor has won the most oscars
The actor with the most Oscars is Katharine Hepburn, with four Academy Awards for acting.
Quick Scoop: Who’s On Top?
If you’re asking “which actor has won the most Oscars” in acting categories, the all‑time record holder is Katharine Hepburn with 4 wins.
- She won for:
- Morning Glory (1933)
* _Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner_ (1967)
* _The Lion in Winter_ (1968)
* _On Golden Pond_ (1981)
A fun bit of context: since the Oscars began in 1929, over 3,000 statuettes have been awarded, but no other performer has matched her four acting wins.
Other Big Oscar Actors
Several famous names are tied in second place with three acting Oscars each.
- Daniel Day‑Lewis – 3 Best Actor wins for:
- My Left Foot (1989), There Will Be Blood (2007), Lincoln (2012)
- Jack Nicholson – 2 Best Actor, 1 Supporting Actor:
- One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975), Terms of Endearment (1983), As Good as It Gets (1997)
- Walter Brennan – 3 Supporting Actor wins (1930s–40s character‑actor legend)
- Frances McDormand – 3 Best Actress wins:
- Fargo (1996), Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017), Nomadland (2020)
- Meryl Streep – 3 acting Oscars and a record 21 nominations as of 2025
Top Actors By Acting Oscars (HTML Table)
| Actor | Total Acting Oscars | Notable Winning Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Katharine Hepburn | 4 | [9][7][1]Morning Glory; Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner; The Lion in Winter; On Golden Pond | [7][1]
| Daniel Day‑Lewis | 3 | [5][1][7]My Left Foot; There Will Be Blood; Lincoln | [5][1][7]
| Jack Nicholson | 3 | [3][1][7]One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest; Terms of Endearment; As Good as It Gets | [3][1][7]
| Walter Brennan | 3 | [1][7]Three Supporting Actor wins (1930s–40s) | [7][1]
| Frances McDormand | 3 | [9][5][7]Fargo; Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri; Nomadland | [5][7]
| Meryl Streep | 3 | [10][8][7]Kramer vs. Kramer; Sophie’s Choice; The Iron Lady | [8][7]
A Quick “Did You Mean” Note
If you ever see Walt Disney mentioned in this context: he holds the all‑time record for any kind of Oscar with 22 competitive wins (plus 4 special awards), but those are as a producer, not as an actor.
So for pure acting, the crown stays with Katharine Hepburn and her four Academy Awards.
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