Actors Who Won Oscars For Playing Real People
24 Actors Who Won Oscars For Playing Real People
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It seems that whenever an actor takes on a famous face in history — or even a lesser-known person with a great true story — it only ups the chances of taking home Oscar gold. Just last year, Leonardo DiCaprio was added to the long list of actors who have taken home an award for playing a real person, thanks to his role in The Revenant. This year, Ruth Negga, Natalie Portman, Meryl Streep, and Andrew Garfield all received nods for playing real people. There are many more among the Hollywood elite who have won a statue for spot-on portrayals of real people (so many that we can't even list them all here!), but take a peek at this short list of memorable performances.
— Additional reporting by Shannon Vestal and Kelsie Gibson
1 Ben Kingsley, Gandhi
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The Real-Life Mahatma Gandhi
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2 Geoffrey Rush, Shine
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The Real-Life David Helfgott
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3 Julia Roberts, Erin Brockovich
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The Real-Life Erin Brockovich
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4 Adrien Brody, The Pianist
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The Real-Life Wladyslaw Szpilman
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5 Nicole Kidman, The Hours
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6 Charlize Theron, Monster
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The Real-Life Aileen Wuornos
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7 Jamie Foxx, Ray
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The Real-Life Ray Charles
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8 Cate Blanchett, The Aviator
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The Real-Life Katharine Hepburn
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9 Philip Seymour Hoffman, Capote
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The Real-Life Truman Capote
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10 Reese Witherspoon, Walk the Line
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The Real-Life June Carter Cash
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11 Forest Whitaker, The Last King of Scotland
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The Real-Life Idi Amin
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12 Helen Mirren, The Queen
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The Real Life Queen Elizabeth II
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13 Marion Cotillard, La Vie en Rose
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The Real-Life Edith Piaf
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14 Sean Penn, Milk
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The Real-Life Harvey Milk
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15 Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
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The Real-Life Leigh Anne Tuohy
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16 Colin Firth, The King's Speech
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17 Christian Bale, The Fighter
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The Real-Life Dicky Eklund
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18 Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
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The Real-Life Margaret Thatcher
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19 Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln
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The Real-Life Abraham Lincoln
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20 Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club
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21 Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything
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The Real-Life Stephen Hawking
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22 Mark Rylance, Bridge of Spies
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23 Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl
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24 Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant
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