Only nine performers have won both a Tony and Oscar for their portrayal of the same role. “Fences” stars Denzel Washington and Viola Davis (“Fences”) hope to be next for reprising their award-winning Broadway roles on the big screen. Please enjoy our gallery above of the performers who perfected a single role and have the hardware to prove it.
BAFTA Awards 2017: Full list of winners
Washington pulled double duty by directing and starring in the film adaptation of the classic August Wilson play. At the Tony Awards both Washington and Davis won in the lead acting categories, and now Washington is trying to win Oscar number-three in the Best Actor category — he previously won Best Supporting Actor for “Glory” (1989) and Best Actor for “Training Day” (2001) — while Davis is trying to win her first Oscar in the Best Supporting Actress category. Competing as a supporting actress at the Oscars was a controversial move for Davis; However, when the play debuted in 1987 Mary Alice won Best Featured Actress for the same role.
If both David and Washington should win they will make history as the first two ever to do so from the same play and movie.
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The last actor to attempt this was Frank Langella for “Frost/Nixon.” He won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play in 2007. The play was quickly brought to the big screen the following year and Langella was nominated for Best Actor at the Oscars, but lost to Sean Penn (“Milk”). The good news for both Davis and Washington is that, unlike Langella, they both recently won SAG Awards.
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