Triple Crown of Acting

The Triple Crown of Acting is a term used in the American entertainment industry to describe actors who have won a competitive Academy Award, Emmy Award, and Tony Award in the acting categories, the highest awards recognized in American film, television, and theater, respectively.^[1] The term is related to other competitive areas, such as the Triple Crown of horse racing.

Only 24 people, 15 women and nine men, have achieved the Triple Crown.

Helen Hayes became the first actor to do so with her Emmy Award on February 5, 1953. Less than two months later, Thomas Mitchell became the first man to do so when he received a Tony Award on March 29, 1953. Hayes, Rita Moreno, and Viola Davis are the only Triple Crown winners in competitive acting categories who have also won a Grammy Award to complete the EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony).

Living winners of the Triple Crown of Acting are Rita Moreno, Jeremy Irons, Vanessa Redgrave, Maggie Smith, Al Pacino, Geoffrey Rush, Ellen Burstyn, Helen Mirren, Frances McDormand, Jessica Lange, and Viola Davis.

The British entertainment industry, which has links with its American counterpart through shared language and frequent cross-Atlantic production, has a Triple Crown of its own, consisting of the BAFTA Film Award, the BAFTA Television Award, and the Laurence Olivier Award.^{[citation needed]} The eight actors who have completed the British Triple Crown in competitive acting categories are Judi Dench, Virginia McKenna, Peggy Ashcroft, Nigel Hawthorne, Julie Walters, Albert Finney, Helen Mirren, and Mark Rylance.

Only Helen Mirren has earned both the American and British Triple Crowns.