Unofficial Academy Awards Discussion Board

Bradley Cooper, Helen Mirren Jane Fonda are three, four more make seven, where does the eighth come in?

I think it has something to do with co-stars but not really. Those three, as well as Teresa Wright and Daniel Day-Lewis were nominated for films in which one of their Oscar nominated co-stars had previously won two Oscars. Cooper/De Niro; Mirren/Maggie Smith; Fonda/Jack Lemmon but Wright/Bette Davis and Day-Lewis/Sally Field would also qualify. All had Oscar-winning male co-stars in films in which they were both nominated, Mirren/Christopher Plummer (in retrospect); Fonda/Gig Young as well as Wright/Gary Cooper and Day-Lewis/Tommy Lee Jones. Neither of these scenarios fit Carole Lombard in any way.

I'm completely stumped.

We haven’t done one for way too long.

In view of this year list of nominees, Bradley Cooper becomes the 8th actor to achieve a very particular, Oscar related feat of a kind. The previous person to do so was Helen Mirren (in retrospect). Jane Fonda is on the list too. There was another, 9th actor who managed something very similar, yet he doesn't fully qualify. Daniel Day Lewis probably came rather close to achieve it too, but alas, he didn't. Carol Lombard should have but she too missed it, exactly the same way Day Lewis did. Some may say Theresa Wright did it, but that would be a legalistic argument which is not admissible.

So – what’s that feat, and who are the other four actors? Knowing the 9th allusive one will get you an honorary bonus.