Every Californian Who Has Won a Major Oscar Award

The first Academy Awards were first held in 1929. Since then, the Oscars considered one of the most prestigious awards in the film industry. 

As a tradition dating back to the mid-20th century, a chosen group of actors and actresses is recognized each year for their outstanding performances in some of the most highly praised films of the previous year.

The members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences choose Oscar winners. The event recognizes various categories, including Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Actress. 

The California film industry has produced countless Oscar winners. With many Oscar-winning actors from California, the Golden State plays a pivotal role in the global film industry, particularly Hollywood. Its influence on filmmaking and entertainment is undeniable and remains unmatched.

As we approach the 97th Academy Awards, let’s take a look back at the California-born Oscar winners throughout history. 

Best Actor:

Gregory Peck – To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)

To Kill a Mockingbird is known to connect with viewers of all ages, and Gregory Peck’s acting in it was spectacular. The film that defined Peck’s career and earned him his only Oscar for acting. 

Cliff Robertson – Charly (1969)

Robertson received much acclaim for his portrayal of a character who undergoes an internal transformation throughout the film.

Gene Hackman – The French Connection (1972)

In the neo-noir thriller directed by William Friedkin Hackman played the role of Detective Jimmy Popeye in a story based on the real-life experiences of cops Sonny Grosso and Eddie Egan. The movie quickly became a commercial success. 

Dustin Hoffman – Kramer vs. Kramer (1979), Rain Man (1988)

Both movies that won Dustin Hoffman an Oscar required him to play challenging roles. In Rain Man, Hoffman portrayed a complex character with autism, while in Kramer vs. Kramer, his character dealt with the emotional distress of divorce.

Robert Duvall – Tender Mercies (1984)

In Tender Mercies, Duvall portrays an alcoholic former country music star whose life desperately needs a change. The film earned Duvall his only Academy Award out of six nominations.

Nicolas Cage – Leaving Las Vegas (1995)

Playing the role of a self-destructive alcoholic was a pivotal moment in Cage’s career, highlighting the range of his acting abilities. 

Tom Hanks – Philadelphia (1993), Forrest Gump (1994)

Undeniably, Hanks is one of Hollywood’s most versatile actors and one of the most famous Academy Award winners. 

In Philadelphia, he played a lawyer battling AIDS and discrimination, earning praise for raising awareness about the HIV/AIDS crisis, while in Forrest Gump, he portrayed a charming, sincere man whose journey and experiences resonated deeply with audiences worldwide.

Sean Penn – Mystic River (2003), Milk (2008)

Penn  admitted that Harvey in Milk, which earned him his second Best Actor Oscar after Mystic River, was "the last time I had a good time" on a film set, revealing he spent 15 years "miserable on sets."

Jeff Bridges – Crazy Heart (2009)

Bridges’ musical talent truly shone in his portrayal of a waning country star, reflecting the character’s struggles and redemption. He has long been considered an underappreciated actor.

Leonardo DiCaprio – The Revenant (2016)

Waiting for Dicaprio to finally win an Oscar became somewhat of a running joke in Hollywood and social media, with many believing that it was long overdue, especially after his roles in The Wolf of Wall Street, The Aviator and Titanic. 

Rami Malek – Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)

Malek’s portrayal of Freddie Mercury left a lasting impression on the audience. His spectacular performance captured the rock star’s charisma and stage persona.

Best Actress:

Diane Keaton – Annie Hall (1977)

The movie that won Keaton the Oscar is considered one of the finest films of all time. It stands at 31st on AFI's ranking of the 100 greatest films in American cinema, and as film critic Roger Ebert described it "just about everyone's favorite Woody Allen movie".

Sally Field – Norma Rae (1980)

Field is a two-time recipient of the Academy Award, winning the Best Actress Oscar for both Norma Rae and Places in the Heart. Thanks to her memorable roles in Forrest Gump, Mrs. Doubtfire and Smokey and the Bandit, Field has firmly secured her place in Hollywood.

Cher – Moonstruck (1988)

In Moonstruck Cher had the role of a widow who falls for her fiancé's brother, played by Nicolas Cage. During the 60th Academy Awards, Moonstruck received three Oscars, including Best Actress for Cher, Best Supporting Actress for Olympia Dukakis and Best Original Screenplay.

Jodie Foster – The Accused (1989), The Silence of the Lambs (1992)

In the renowned movie The Silence of the Lambs, Jodie Foster delivered an Oscar-winning performance as Clarice Starling, with Sir Anthony Hopkins portraying Hannibal Lecter. Both actors won Oscars for their performances, making it one of the few times the Academy bestowed such honors on a psychological horror film.

At the 61st Academy Awards, Foster also received the Best Actress award for the Accused. In 2006, Foster's performance was placed at #56 on Premiere's list of the 100 Greatest Film Performances of All Time.

Gwyneth Paltrow – Shakespeare in Love (1998)

Many criticized the Academy's choice to honor this film instead of Saving Private Ryan and Gwyneth Paltrow's win for Best Actress over the expected favorite, Cate Blanchett for Elizabeth.

Helen Hunt – As Good as It Gets (1997)

In the romantic comedy, Hunt portrayed a single mother facing financial challenges,  caring for a sick child and dealing with a meddlesome mother. For this performance, she also earned a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award.

Brie Larson – Room (2015)

The 26-year-old actress faced competition from Saoirse Ronan and Charlotte Rampling. In the movie, which received three additional Oscar nominations, Larson plays the role of a mother held captive with her young son in a small room, focusing on their eventual escape.  

Jessica Chastain – The Eyes of Tammy Faye (2021)

Chastain's performance in The Eyes of Tammy Faye has been widely praised for its depth and complexity. In the film, she portrayed Tammy Faye Bakker, an ambitious televangelist who faced public criticism while navigating significant personal and professional challenges.

Best Supporting Actor:

Timothy Hutton – Ordinary People (1980)

At the age of 20, Hutton won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Ordinary People (1980), making him the youngest recipient of the honor. 

Gene Hackman – Unforgiven (1993)

Hackman initially turned down the part of the sheriff in Unforgiven as he had promised his daughters that he would no longer play parts that glorify violence. However, he eventually consented to play the part when Eastwood insisted on casting him, stressing that the movie was supposed to portray the violence and gloom of the time rather than exalt gunslingers.

Tim Robbins – Mystic River (2004)

Tim Robbins’s portrayal of the conflicted Dave Boyle won widespread recognition, establishing him as one of the most versatile actors in Hollywood.

Mahershala Ali – Moonlight (2017), Green Book (2019)

Green Book marked Ali's second Oscar win, having previously won in the same category in 2017 for Moonlight, making him the first Muslim actor to achieve this honor. 

He is now the first actor of both Black and Muslim descent to receive the Best Supporting Actor award twice. Denzel Washington is the only other Black actor to have won an Oscar multiple times. 

Sam Rockwell – Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)

The first-time nominee beat out Willem Dafoe and Richard Jenkins for his role as a racist police officer from a small town in Missouri. 

Best Supporting Actress:

Fay Bainter – Jezebel (1939)

In 2009, Jezebel was recognized in the yearly selection of 25 films added to the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically or aesthetically" important.

Gloria Grahame – The Bad and the Beautiful (1952)

Up until the 1977 ceremony, when Beatrice Straight won Best Supporting Actress for Network with a performance that lasted just 5 minutes and 2 seconds, Gloria Grahame's role as Rosemary Bartlow in The Bad and the Beautiful, which took up only 9 minutes and 32 seconds of screen time, held the record for the shortest performance to ever win an Academy Award.

Jo Van Fleet – East of Eden (1956)

Van Fleet's first film appearance in East of Eden earned her an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She also won a Tony Award in 1954 for her impressive stage performance as a character lacking sympathy.

Liza Minnelli – Cabaret (1972)

The movie secured eight out of the ten Academy Awards for which it received nominations, establishing a record for the highest number of Oscars won by a film that did not win the Best Picture award.

Tatum O'Neal – Paper Moon (1973)

At just ten years old, the actress became the youngest Oscar winner in the history of the Academy Awards. Despite the achievement, Tatum O'Neal felt neglected by her parents. When she received an Oscar nomination and her father, also an actor, did not, it led to tension in the family.

Angelina Jolie – Girl, Interrupted (1999)

Jolie is perhaps considered one of the most famous Oscar winners. 

She has won numerous awards for her role in Girl, Interrupted including the Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Supporting Actress, the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role.

Sally Field – Places in the Heart (1985)

Field claimed in her statement at the time that she felt fully accepted in the Hollywood industry following her second Oscar win, despite having previously won her first for her main performance in Norma Rae in 1980. 

Anjelica Huston – Prizzi's Honor (1986)

Huston became the third member of her family to win an Oscar in three generations. She later claimed that after beating Oprah Winfrey for the 1986 Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, the future TV star would not invite her to her show and even ignored her at events.

Marcia Gay Harden – Pollock (2000)

When Nicolas Cage announced Marcia Gay Harden as the recipient of the Best Supporting Actress Oscar in 2001, it caught everyone off guard, especially Marcia Gay Harden herself. That year, she hadn’t received nominations for either a Golden Globe or a Screen Actors Guild Award. 

Regina King – If Beale Street Could Talk (2019)

The movie brought King, who began her Hollywood career more than three decades ago as a teenager on a 1980s sitcom, her first Oscar. It was also her first nomination.

Laura Dern – Marriage Story (2020)

Laura Dern's portrayal of a predatory divorce lawyer in Marriage Story earned her the Best Supporting Actress award at the 92nd Academy Awards. Although she was the favorite for the award, the actress had to compete with Kathy Bates in Richard Jewell and Florence Pugh in Little Women.

Jamie Lee Curtis – Everything Everywhere All at Once (2023)

The actress took the prize for the role of a tax inspector in a superhero comedy, in her first Oscar nomination in a four-decade acting career.

Best Director 

Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert - Everything Everywhere All at Once 

The duo claimed an award for their second film, beating out competition from Steven Spielberg.

Best Original Screenplay:

Sofia Coppola - Lost in Translation (2003)

Coppola’s Lost in Translation drew inspiration from her relationship with her former husband Spike Jonze. A decade later, Jonze would also win the same accolade for his film Her. 

From Oscar winners to famous directors from California, the state has shaped the Oscars in profound ways. Many of the most iconic figures in cinema have originated from the Golden State, leaving an indelible mark on the history of the Academy Awards.