If you want to be an actor, you might be wondering where/whether to go for acting school. You might be wondering where famous actors got their acting training. For this article, we researched where actors who won two or more Oscars for acting studied acting.
Many actors had formal acting training from either schools, such as the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Yale University, HB Studio, The Pasadena Playhouse, and The American Academy of Dramatic Arts, or from teachers such as Lee Strasberg, Stella Adler, and Michael Chekhov.
The details (with sources and links) about the education of these famous and great actors are given below, in order of the most recent Oscar win. The actors may have also had additional training; however, you can already see how they put effort into learning the craft of acting.
1. Anthony Hopkins
Anthony Hopkins studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (source). Additionally, as shown in the video above, you can see how Anthony Hopkins also learned from other actors, such as Laurence Olivier, and that his learning continued for years and years; the same is likely true for all the other actors in this article.
Anthony Hopkins won two Oscars for acting: one for Best Actor for The Father (2020) and another for Best Actor for The Silence of the Lambs (1991). He received a total of six Oscar nominations.
2. Frances McDormand
Frances McDormand went to Bethany College for a Bachelor of Arts in theater (source) and then attended Yale University’s School of Drama for a Master of Fine Arts degree (source).
Frances McDormand won three Oscars for acting: she won Best Actress for Nomadland (2020), Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017), and Fargo (1996). She received a total of six Oscar nominations.
3. Renée Zellweger
Renée Zellweger took an acting class at the University of Texas at Austin while majoring in English (source). She is one of the few actors on this list who we did not find to attend an acting school or studio. She began her career in commercials, and it should be noted that her university degree, while not in acting, was still an arts degree, and studying English can be quite helpful for acting because it can teach you to analyze texts and understand the writer’s intention and characters better. Another thing to note is that Renée Zellweger is a lifelong learner. In addition to taking vocal lessons to help prepare for one of her Oscar-winning roles (source), she also went back to college (as described in the video above) and studied international relations (source). It can be helpful for actors to also have knowledge/skills outside of acting because that can give them more to draw from when they act. For the remainder of this article, we will focus just on the acting training.
Renée Zellweger won two Oscars for acting: one for Best Actress for Judy (2019) and one for Best Supporting Actress for Cold Mountain (2003). She has a total of four Oscar nominations.
4. Mahershala Ali
Mahershala Ali got a master’s degree studying acting at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts (source). In the video above, you can also see how he talks about the importance of ongoing learning, how his education helped him understand both himself (his instrument) and the world, and how grad school gave him determination.
Mahershala Ali won two Oscars for acting, both for Best Supporting Actor: one for Green Book (2018) and one for Moonlight (2016). He has a total of two Oscar nominations.
5. Cate Blanchett
Cate Blanchett graduated from the National Institute of Dramatic Art (source).
Cate Blanchett won two Oscars for acting: Best Actress for Blue Jasmine (2013) and Best Supporting Actress for The Aviator (2004). She has a total of seven Oscar nominations.
6. Daniel Day-Lewis
Daniel Day-Lewis attended the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School (source). Additionally, his mother was an actress and he also had other family members in the film industry (source), which may have provided him with some informal education.
Daniel Day-Lewis won three Oscars for acting: he won Best Actor for Lincoln (2012),
There Will Be Blood (2007), and My Left Foot (1989). He has a total of six Oscar nominations.
7. Christoph Waltz
Christoph Waltz attended the Max Reinhardt Seminar, which was a reputable acting school in Vienna (source). He also attended the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in New York (source) and studied with Lee Strasberg and Stella Adler (source).
Christoph Waltz won two Oscars for acting: he won Best Supporting Actor for
Django Unchained (2012) and Inglourious Basterds (2009). He has a total of two Oscar nominations.
8. Meryl Streep
Meryl Street got a Bachelor of Arts degree from Vassar College in drama and costume design (source). She then got a Master of Fine Arts degree in drama from Yale University’s School of Drama (source). She also studied acting with Michael Howard (source).
Meryl Streep won three Oscars for acting: she won Best Actress for The Iron Lady (2011) and Sophie’s Choice (1982) and won Best Supporting Actress for Kramer vs. Kramer (1979). She has a total of 21 Oscar nominations. Yes, you read that right, it’s 21.
9. Sean Penn
Sean Penn studied with acting coach Peggy Feury for two years (source). Additionally, both his parents were actors (source) so he could have had additional informal education that way.
Sean Penn won two Oscars for acting: he won Best Actor for Milk (2008) and Mystic River (2003). He has a total of five Oscar nominations.
10. Hilary Swank
Hilary Swank studied with acting coach Larry Moss, and her training with Larry Moss was specific to the role that got her her first Oscar (source). You can see Hilary Swank thanking Larry Moss in her acceptance speech in the video above, saying she could never have given that performance otherwise.
Hilary Swank won two Oscars for acting: she won Best Actress for Million Dollar Baby (2004) and Boys Don’t Cry (1999). She has a total of two Oscar nominations.
11. Denzel Washington
Denzel Washington got a degree in drama and journalism from Fordham University (source) and also studied at the American Conservatory Theater (source). In the video above, he says natural ability can only take you so far, which is why he also studied.
Denzel Washington won two Oscars for acting: he won Best Actor for Training Day (2001) and won Best Supporting Actor for Glory (1989). He has a total of eight Oscar nominations.
12. Michael Caine
Michael Caine said he never went to drama school (source). He wrote that his first nine years of professional acting “felt more like purgatory than paradise” and that during that time he did 700-800 auditions and played hundreds of parts across theatre, TV, and films (source) suggesting he learned a lot from experience. In the video above, you can see that he says he spent nine years learning to become the best possible actor he could become; it wasn’t about waiting for the right role – it was about learning.
Michael Caine won two Oscars for acting: he won Best Supporting Actor for The Cider House Rules (1999) and Hannah and Her Sisters (1986). He has a total of six Oscar nominations.
13. Kevin Spacey
Kevin Spacey studied at the Juilliard School of Drama (source) and then left after two years (source).
Kevin Spacey won two Oscars for acting: he won Best Actor for American Beauty (1999) and won Best Supporting Actor for The Usual Suspects (1995). He has a total of two Oscar nominations.
14. Jack Nicholson
Jack Nicholson took acting classes with Jeff Corey (source), who was a blacklisted actor who became a prominent acting instructor (source). Before that, Jack Nicholson also had one acting class with Joe Flynn (source).
Jack Nicholson won three Oscars for acting: he won Best Actor for As Good as It Gets (1997) and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975) and won Best Supporting Actor for Terms of Endearment (1983). He has a total of twelve Oscar nominations.
15. Tom Hanks
Tom Hanks studied theatre at Chabot College and California State University in Sacramento (source). It should also be noted that, in his first Oscar acceptance speech, Tom Hanks said he would not be standing there if it were not for his high school drama teacher, Mr. Rawley Farnsworth, which goes to show that acting education can be influential even if it is not something you put on a resume.
Tom Hanks won two Oscars for acting: he won Best Actor for Forrest Gump (1994) and Philadelphia (1993). He has a total of six Oscar nominations.
16. Dianne Wiest
Dianne Wiest attended the University of Maryland, graduating with a degree in Arts and Sciences (source) that involved studying theatre (source).
Dianne Wiest won two Oscars for acting: she won Best Supporting Actress for Bullets over Broadway (1994) and Hannah and Her Sisters (1986). She has a total of three Oscar nominations.
17. Jessica Lange
Jessica Lange studied mime in Paris with Etienne Decroux (source). She later took acting lessons in New York at HB Studio (source).
Jessica Lange won two Oscars for acting: she won Best Actress for Blue Sky (1994) and won Best Supporting Actress for Tootsie (1982). She has a total of six Oscar nominations.
18. Gene Hackman
Gene Hackman studied acting at the Pasadena Playhouse (source).
Gene Hackman won two Oscars for acting: he won Best Actor for The French Connection (1971) and Best Supporting Actor for Unforgiven (1992). He has a total of five Oscar nominations.
19. Jodie Foster
Although Jodie Foster does not appear to have had formal acting education, she had a lifetime of acting work experience she could learn from and she also got a degree in literature from Yale University (source). Jodie Foster started as a child actor. In fact, she started so young that, as you can see from the video above, she says she does not remember her life before acting. She did commercials from age 3 to 5 and then began appearing in TV series. Her movie career was in full swing by the age of 10 (source). Jodie Foster’s mother worked as a publicist for a film producer before becoming Jodie Foster’s manager (source).
Jodie Foster won two Oscars for acting: Best Actress for The Silence of the Lambs (1991) and The Accused (1988). She has a total of four Oscar nominations.
20. Dustin Hoffman
Dustin Hoffman took acting classes at the Pasadena Playhouse and also attended Lee Strasberg’s Actors Studio (source).
Dustin Hoffman won two Oscars for acting: Best Actor for Rain Man (1988) and Kramer vs. Kramer (1979). He has a total of seven Oscar nominations.
21. Sally Field
Sally Field studied with Lee Strasberg at The Actors Studio (source). In the video above, you can see how Sally Field wishes she had more of an education.
Sally Field won two Oscars for acting: she won Best Actress for Places in the Heart (1984) and Norma Rae (1979). She has a total of three Oscar nominations.
22. Katharine Hepburn
Katherine Hepburn took lessons from Constance Collier, who was a very experienced actress she had met during filming. Those lessons with Constance Collier weren’t a one-time thing; Katherine Hepburn kept occasionally taking lessons until Constance Collier’s death (source).
Katherine Hepburn won four Oscars for acting: she won Best Actress for On Golden Pond (1981), The Lion in Winter (1968), Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (1967), and Morning Glory (1933). She has a total of twelve Oscar nominations.
23. Robert De Niro
Robert De Niro studied at HB Studio (source), Lee Strasberg’s Actors Studio, and with Stella Adler (source). Of note, the techniques taught be Lee Strasberg and Stella Adler were quite different, and Robert De Niro studied both. As you can see in the video above, Robert De Niro states that he likes to listen and then make his own decisions.
Robert De Niro won two Oscars for acting: he won Best Actor for Raging Bull (1980) and Best Supporting Actor for The Godfather Part II (1974). He has a total of seven Oscar nominations.
24. Melvyn Douglas
Melvyn Douglas attended the acting school of William Owen, who was a Shakespearean actor (source).
Melvyn Douglas won two Oscars for acting: he won Best Supporting Actor for Being There (1979) and Hud (1963). He has a total of three Oscar nominations.
25. Jane Fonda
Jane Fonda studied acting at The Actors Studio with Lee Strasberg (source).
Jane Fonda won two Oscars for acting: she won Best Actress for Coming Home (1978) and Klute (1971). She has a total of seven Oscar nominations.
26. Maggie Smith
Maggie Smith studied acting at the Oxford Playhouse (source).
Maggie Smith won two Oscars for acting: she won Best Supporting Actress for California Suite (1978) and Best Actress for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969). She has a total of six Oscar nominations.
27. Jason Robards
Jason Robards studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts (source) and at HB Studio (source).
Jason Robards won two Oscars for acting: he won Best Supporting Actor for Julia (1977) and All the President’s Men (1976). He has a total of three Oscar nominations.
28. Ingrid Bergman
Ingrid Bergman attended one year of the Royal Dramatic Theatre school in Stockholm (which does not exist anymore). She also took an acting class with Michael Chekhov (source).
Ingrid Bergman won three Oscars for acting: she won Best Supporting Actress for Murder on the Orient Express (1974) and Best Actress for Anastasia (1956) and Gaslight (1944). She has a total of seven Oscar nominations.
29. Glenda Jackson
Glenda Jackson studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (source).
Glenda Jackson won two Oscars for acting: she won Best Actress for A Touch of Class (1973) and Women in Love (1970). She has a total of four Oscar nominations.
30. Jack Lemmon
Jack Lemmon studied acting with Uta Hagen (source) and David Alexander (source). In the video above, you can see how Jack Lemmon describes how David Alexander taught him to make poorly-written scenes more interesting by introducing obstacles into them.
Jack Lemmon won two Oscars for acting: he won Best Actor for Save the Tiger (1973) and Best Supporting Actor for Mister Roberts (1955). He has a total of eight Oscar nominations.
31. Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando studied acting with Stella Adler (source).
Marlon Brando won two Oscars for acting: he won Best Actor for The Godfather (1972) and On the Waterfront (1954). He has a total of eight Oscar nominations.
32. Helen Hayes
Helen Hayes started acting at a young age (5) and had many roles during her childhood. Those were the days of silent films; Helen Hayes took lessons in mime (source).
Helen Hayes won two Oscars for acting: she won Best Supporting Actress for Airport (1970) and Best Actress for The Sin of Madelon Claudet (1931). She has a total of two Oscar nominations.
33. Elizabeth Taylor
Elizabeth Taylor never had an acting lesson; she said she learned from watching educated actors (source). Elizabeth Taylor’s mother was an actress, and her father was an art dealer who had some clients in the film industry. Elizabeth Taylor got into the film industry after she got introduced to the chairman of Universal Pictures through one of her father’s clients (source).
Elizabeth Taylor won two Oscars for acting: she won Best Actress for Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966) and Butterfield 8 (1960). She has a total of five Oscar nominations.
34. Shelley Winters
Shelley Winters took drama classes at the New School for Social Research and also studied at the Actors Studio (source). She also took classes with Charles Laughton (source).
Shelley Winters won two Oscars for acting: she won Best Supporting Actress for A Patch of Blue (1965) and The Diary of Anne Frank (1959). She has a total of four Oscar nominations.
35. Peter Ustinov
36. Anthony Quinn
37. Gary Cooper
Gary Cooper took an acting class with Michael Chekhov (source).
Gary Cooper won two Oscars for acting: he won Best Actor for High Noon (1952) and Sergeant York (1941). He has a total of five Oscar nominations.
38. Vivien Leigh
Vivien Leigh studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (source).
Vivien Leigh won two Oscars for acting: she won Best Actress for A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) and Gone with the Wind (1939). She has a total of two Oscar nominations.
39. Olivia de Havilland
Olivia de Havilland’s mother was an actress who had trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (source). Olivia de Havilland got lessons from her mother, including lessons that involved reciting Shakespeare passages (source). She initially acted as a hobby in school plays and community theatre. She began acting professionally after the assistant of director Max Reinhardt noticed her in a Shakespeare play at a community theatre (source).
Olivia de Havilland won two Oscars for acting: she won Best Actress for The Heiress (1949) and To Each His Own (1946). She has a total of five Oscar nominations.
40. Fredric March
41. Walter Brennan
We couldn’t find any information about acting education for Walter Brennan; he acted in many school plays (source). He began as an extra and a stuntman, being in about 30 movies over the course of about 5 years before he got a part where he was prominently featured (source).
Walter Brennan won three Oscars for acting: he won Best Supporting Actor for The Westerner (1940), Kentucky (1938), and Come and Get It (1936). He has a total of four Oscar nominations.
42. Spencer Tracy
Spencer Tracy studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts (source).
Spencer Tracy won two Oscars for acting: he won Best Actor for Boys Town (1938) and Captains Courageous (1937). He has a total of nine Oscar nominations.
43. Bette Davis
Bette Davis attended John Murray Anderson’s acting school (source).
Bette Davis won two Oscars for acting: she won Best Actress for Jezebel (1938) and Dangerous (1935). She has a total of ten Oscar nominations.
44. Luise Rainer
Luise Rainer studied with Max Reinhardt (source).
Luise Rainer won two Oscars for acting: she won Best Actress for The Good Earth (1937) and The Great Ziegfeld (1936). She has a total of two Oscar nominations.
Concluding Thoughts
And that’s it, those are all the winners of multiple acting Oscars to date (2021). You can see that over the past 84 years, there have been 44 people who have won multiple Oscars for acting, and the only ones without known formal acting education were Walter Brennan, Elizabeth Taylor (whose mother was an actress), Jodie Foster (who was acting from the age of 3), Michael Caine (who spent 9 years learning from direct acting experience), and to a certain degree Renée Zellweger (who took an acting course in university while majoring in English). It is possible, however, that one or more of these individuals did have acting training that we did not uncover in our research. In any case, at least 88% of actors who won multiple Oscars for acting have had formal education in acting, from schools and/or teachers. You can also see that both those who did and those who did not have formal acting training have worked hard to hone their craft and have continued to learn more and more. Successful actors are great learners.
