In the Academy’s history, 80 women have won the Best Actress Oscar, some more than once.
My Oscar Book:
During that time, 97 years, 100 lead performances have been honored. Janet Gaynor, the first winner, received the Oscar for three different roles.
In 1968, there was a tie in the Best Actress category, with Katharine Hepburn (The Lion in Winter) and Barbra Streisand (Funning Girl), splitting the award.
Oscar Roles by Source (Real-Life Vs. Fictional Figures)
Royalty, Showbusiness, Prostitution
Real-Life (Biopics):
Luise Rainer, The Great Ziegfeld, 1936 (singer)
Jennifer Jones, The Song of Bernadette, 1943 (religious)
Susan Hayward, I Want to Live! 1958
Anne Bancroft, The Miracle Worker, 1962
Barbra Streisand, Funny Girl, 1968 (singer)
Katharine Hepburn, The Lion in Winter, 1968 (queen)
Sally Field, Norma Rae, 1979
Sissy Spacek, Coal Miner’s Daughter, 1980 (singer)
Jessica Tandy, Driving Miss Daisy, 1989
Susan Sarandon, Dead Man Walking, 1995 (nun)
Hilary Swank, Boys Don’t Cry, 1999
Julia Roberts, Erin Brockovich, 2000
Nicole Kidman, The Hours, 2002 (writer)
Charlize Theron, Monster, 2003
Reese Witherspoon, Ray, 2005 (singer)
Helen Mirren, The Queen, 2006 (queen)
Marion Cottillard, La Vie en Rose, 2oo7 (singer)
Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side, 2009
Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady, 2011 (prime minister)
Olivia Colman, The Favourite, 2017 (queen)
Renee Zellweger, Judy, 2019 (singer)
Analysis:
The data show that 21 of the 99 (about 20 percent) female Oscar winning roles were based on–or inspired–by real-life figures.
