Question: Renee Zellweger has been nominated for an Oscar three years in a row. Can you tell me how many other times this has happened? Has anyone ever pulled it off more than three times in a row? Thanks!Answer: William Hurt and Russell Crowe have both been nominated for best actor three times in a row, Hurt for Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985), Children of a Lesser God (1986) and Broadcast News (1987) — he won for Kiss of the Spider Woman — and Crowe for The Insider (1999), Gladiator (2000) and A Beautiful Mind (2001). Crowe won for Gladiator. And just for the record, Zellweger's three-in-a-row nominations were for Bridget Jones's Diary (2001), Chicago (2002) and Cold Mountain (2003); the third time was the lucky one for her.
In the past, Elizabeth Ta
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Question: Are ensemble casts ever recognized with an Oscar that's designed especially for a group of actors who worked really well together? Or does someone always have to be singled out as a lead or supporting player? Answer: Although the SAG Awards, which are given by the Screen Actors Guild, regularly honor ensembles, the Academy Awards only recognize individuals. But there have been instances in which all the actors with speaking roles are nominated. They include Sleuth (1972) — which, to be fair, has only two speaking roles, but both Michael Caine and Sir Laurence Olivier were nominated in the best-actor category — and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966). Virginia W
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Unless every person who has ever bought a Thighmaster starts buying up tickets, Suzanne Somers' solo Broadway show, The Blonde in the Thunderbird (a nod to her role in American Graffiti), will run out of gas after only eight performances and 10 previews. Also shutting its doors is the revival of Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? starring Kathleen Turner, which will take a final bow on Sept. 4. In happier news, Monty Python's Spamalot will hit the road in March, taking its quest for the Holy Grail to Boston.
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