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TheTriple Crown is a term used in the entertainment industry to describe individuals who have won the three highest accolades recognised in British film, television, and theatre: aBritish Academy Film Award, aBritish Academy Television Award, and aLaurence Olivier Award respectively.[1]
The concept began in1976 with the introduction of theSociety of London Theatre's Laurence Olivier Award. The following year, actressJudi Dench became the first person to complete the British Triple Crown,[1] having won a British Academy Film Award 11 years prior in1966 and a British Academy Television Award in 1968. She would go on to complete three more triple crowns. ActorHelen Mirren is the only person to have completed both the British andAmerican triple crowns; the American equivalent consists of anAcademy Award (for film), anEmmy Award (for television), and aTony Award (for theatre).[2][3]
| Actor | Completed | Years to complete | BAFTA Film | BAFTA TV | Olivier | Total competitive wins | Total Wins | Category | Ref.[4] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Judi Dench | 1977 | 12 | 1966 | 1968 | 1977 | 17[a] | 19 | Acting | [5][6][7] |
| Virginia McKenna | 1979 | 24 | 1957 | 1955 | 1979 | 3 | 3 | Acting | [8][9] |
| Peggy Ashcroft | 1986 | 10 | 1986 | 1981 | 1976 | 4[b] | 5 | Acting | [10][11][12][13] |
| Nigel Hawthorne | 1996 | 14 | 1996 | 1981 | 1992 | 8 | 8 | Acting | [14][15][16][17] |
| Alan Bennett | 1996 | 29 | 1996 | 1967 | 1990 | 8 | 9 | Writing / producing / acting | [18][19][16][20] |
| Julie Walters | 2002 | 18 | 1984 | 2002 | 2001 | 7 | 9 | Acting | [21][22] |
| Albert Finney | 2003 | 43 | 1961 | 2003 | 1986 | 3 | 4 | Acting | [23][24] |
| Kenneth Branagh | 2009 | 27 | 1990 | 2009 | 1982 | 5[c] | 7 | Acting / directing / producing | [25][26][27][28] |
| Helen Mirren | 2013 | 21 | 2007 | 1992 | 2013 | 5[d] | 6 | Acting | [29][30][31] |
| Mark Rylance | 2016 | 21 | 2016 | 2006 | 1994 | 5 | 5 | Acting | [32][33][34][35] |
| Stephen Daldry | 2022 | 29 | 2001 | 2022 | 1993 | 5 | 5 | Directing / producing | [36][37][33][38] |
| Actor | 1st Award | 2nd Award | 3rd Award | Year span | Ref. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alec Guinness | 1958 | BAFTA Film | 1980 | BAFTA TV | 1988 | The Society Special Olivier | 30 | [39][40] |
| Anthony Hopkins | 1973 | BAFTA TV | 1985 | Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement | 1992 | BAFTA Film | 19 | [41][42] |
| Vanessa Redgrave | 1966 | BAFTA TV | 1984 | Olivier | 2010 | BAFTA Fellowship for Film contributions | 44 | [43][44] |
| Maggie Smith | 1970 | BAFTA Film | 1996 | BAFTA Academy Fellowship | 2010 | The Society Special Olivier | 41 | [45][34] |
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English actressJudi Dench (born 1934) completed the triple crown in 1977, becoming the first person to complete the British triple crown.[1] She completed her second triple crown in 1986, her third triple crown in 1988, and her fourth in 2001. She is a 12-time BAFTA TV (4), 15-time BAFTA Film (6), and 15-time Olivier (7) nominee, for a total of 42 TC nominations. Dench has won nineteen awards.
Note: Dench is the only actor to complete multiple triple crowns of acting, on either the American or British side, and has completed four. She is the only person to have won more than seven triple crown awards, on either the British or American side. She also holds the records (though tied) for most BAFTA TV nominations, most BAFTA Film nominations, and most BAFTA Film awards; Dench has also won anAcademy Award for Best Supporting Actress in1999 forShakespeare in Love and aTony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Play in1999 forAmy's View. She has also been nominated for threePrimetime Emmy Awards (short of completing the Americantriple crown).
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British stage and screen actress, author, animal rights activist, and wildlife campaignerVirginia McKenna (born 1931) completed the triple crown in 1979. She is a 2-time BAFTA Film (1), 2-time BAFTA TV (1) and 1-time Olivier Award (1) nominee, with a total of 5 TC nominations. McKenna has won three awards.
Note: McKenna has never been nominated for anAcademy Award, anEmmy Award, or aTony Award to compete for the Americantriple crown.
English actressPeggy Ashcroft (1907–1991) completed the triple crown in 1986. She is a 4-time BAFTA Film (1), 5-time BAFTA TV (2) and 1-time Olivier (1) nominee, with a total of 10 TC nominations. Ashcroft has a total of five awards.
Note: Ashcroft won theAcademy Award for Best Supporting Actress in1985 forA Passage to India (a year before winning theBAFTA Film Award). She was also nominated for twoPrimetime Emmy Awards, but never nominated for aTony Award to complete the Americantriple crown.
English actorNigel Hawthorne (1929–2001) completed the triple crown in 1996. He is a 5-time BAFTA TV (5), 1-time BAFTA Film (1), and 5-time Olivier (2) nominee, for a total of 11 TC nominations. Hawthorne has won eight awards.
Note: Hawthorne had also been nominated for anAcademy Award for Best Actor in1995 forThe Madness of King George and won aTony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Play in1991 forShadowlands, but never been nominated for anyEmmy Award to complete the Americantriple crown.
English playwright, author, actor, and screenwriterAlan Bennett (born 1934) completed the triple crown in 1996. He is a 4-time BAFTA Film (1), 10-time BAFTA TV (3), and 6-time Olivier (4) nominee, for a total of 20 TC nominations. Bennett has won nine awards.
Note: Bennett has also been nominated for anAcademy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay in1995 forThe Madness of King George and won aTony Award for Best Play in2006 forThe History Boys. He was also nominated for theGrammy Award for Best Comedy Performance in1963 forBeyond the Fringe, but he has never been nominated for anyEmmy Award to complete theEGOT.
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English actressJulie Walters (born 1950) completed the triple crown in 2002. She is a 9-time BAFTA TV (4), 6-time BAFTA Film (2), and 4-time Olivier (1) nominee, for a total of 19 TC nominations. Walters has won nine awards.
Note: Walters has also received an honorary BAFTA in 2003 and theBAFTA Academy Fellowship Award in 2014. She was nominated for anAcademy Award for Best Actress in1984 forEducating Rita and a second nomination forBest Supporting Actress in2001 forBilly Elliot. She is the recipient of twoInternational Emmy Awards forBest Performance by an Actress, but she has never been nominated for aPrimetime Emmy Award.
English actorAlbert Finney (1936–2019) completed the triple crown in 2003. He is a 4-time BAFTA TV (1), 9-time BAFTA Film (1), and 2-time Olivier (1) nominee, for a total of 15 TC nominations. Finney has won four awards.
Note: Finney also won aPrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie in2003 forThe Gathering Storm and won twoTony Awards, but never won anAcademy Award (after five nominations) to complete the Americantriple crown.
British actor and filmmakerKenneth Branagh (born 1960) completed the triple crown in 2009. He's a 6-time BAFTA Film (2), 5-time BAFTA TV (2), and 6-time Olivier (1) nominee, for a total of 17 TC nominations. Branagh has won seven awards.
Note: Branagh also won anAcademy Award for Best Original Screenplay in2022 forBelfast and won aPrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie in2001 forConspiracy and anInternational Emmy Award for Best Actor in2017 forWallander. He was nominated for theGrammy Award for Best Spoken Word or Non-Musical Album in1995 forHamlet, but he has never been nominated for aTony Award, to complete the Americantriple crown (for not winning anAcademy Award for acting) or theEGOT.
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English actorHelen Mirren (born 1945) completed the triple crown in 2013.[2] She is a 6-time BAFTA TV (3), 5-time BAFTA Film (1), and 4-time Olivier (1) nominee, for a total of 15 TC nominations. Mirren has won six awards.
Note: Mirren is the only person to have also won the AmericanTriple Crown of Acting by being awarded the three equivalent honors in the American entertainment industry: winning anAcademy Award, fourPrimetime Emmy Awards, and aTony Award.
British actor, playwright and theatre directorMark Rylance (born 1960) completed the triple crown in 2016. He is a 2-time BAFTA TV (2), 1-time BAFTA Film (1), and 8-time Olivier (2) nominee, for a total of 11 TC nominations. Rylance has won five awards.
Note: Rylance has also won anAcademy Award for Best Supporting Actor in2016 forBridge of Spies and won threeTony Awards. He has been nominated for onePrimetime Emmy Award (short of completing the Americantriple crown).
English director and producerStephen Daldry (born 1960) completed the triple crown in 2022. He won one competitive BAFTA Film Award, one BAFTA TV Award, and three Olivier Awards, for a total of 15 TC nominations. Daldry has won five awards.
Note: Daldry has also won twoPrimetime Emmy Awards forThe Crown and won threeTony Awards. He has also been nominated for threeAcademy Awards forBest Director.
Four additional artists have received all three awards, though one was bestowed for an honorary or similar non-competitive distinction: Alec Guinness has no competitive Olivier Award, Anthony Hopkins has no competitive Olivier Award, Vanessa Redgrave has no competitive BAFTA Film Award, and Maggie Smith has no competitive BAFTA TV Award or Olivier Award.
English actorAlec Guinness (1914–2000) completed the triple crown in 1988. He is a 3-time BAFTA Film (1), 3-time BAFTA TV (2) and 2-time Olivier Award nominee (0), for a total of 8 TC nominations. Guinness has won five awards.
Note: Guinness also won theAcademy Award for Best Actor in1958 forThe Bridge on the River Kwai and theTony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Play in1964 forDylan. He was nominated for twoPrimetime Emmy Awards and twoGrammy Awards (short of completing the Americantriple crown and theEGOT). He was also nominated for two competitiveLaurence Olivier Award for Actor of the Year forThe Old Country in1977 and forA Walk in the Woods in 1988.
Welsh actor, director, and producerAnthony Hopkins (born 1937) completed the triple crown in 1992. He is a 7-time BAFTA Film (3), 2-time BAFTA TV (1) and 1-time Olivier Award (0) nominee, for a total of 10 TC nominations. Hopkins has won six awards.
Note: Hopkins has also won twoAcademy Awards forBest Actor and won twoPrimetime Emmy Awards, but he has never been nominated for aTony Award, to complete the Americantriple crown. He was also nominated for a competitiveLaurence Olivier Award for Actor of the Year forPravda in 1985.
English actress and activistVanessa Redgrave (born 1937) completed the triple crown in 2010. She is a 2-time BAFTA Film (0), 2-time BAFTA TV (1) and 4-time Olivier Award nominee, with a total of 8 TC nominations. Redgrave has won three awards.
Note: Redgrave has also won the AmericanTriple Crown of Acting by being awarded the three equivalent honors in the American entertainment industry: winning anAcademy Award, twoPrimetime Emmy Awards, and aTony Award. She was nominated for theGrammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album for Children in2002 forOscar Wilde: The Selfish Giant & The Nightingale and the Rose (short of completing theEGOT).
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English actressMaggie Smith (1934–2024) completed the triple crown in 2010. She is a 13-time BAFTA Film (5), 5-time BAFTA TV (0) and 6-time Olivier Award nominee (0), with a total of 24 TC nominations. Smith has won eight awards.
Note: Smith also won the AmericanTriple Crown of Acting by being awarded the three equivalent honors in the American entertainment industry: winning twoAcademy Awards, fourPrimetime Emmy Awards, and aTony Award.
The following individuals have each won two out of the three major awards in competitive categories:
The following individuals have not won all three awards in competitive categories, but have received at least one nomination for each of them: