This is a “short list” not because we have excluded people from the list but because there are very few people who qualified to be on the list. The EGOT winners are in a very elite group. They are Hollywood professionals who have earned an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony award during their life time. The list is an interesting one to say the least because some of the names you will be very familiar with, while others will have you asking why you have never heard of them before.
If you want to truly appreciate the Hollywood personalities who are on the list who will have to put aside your personal likes and dislikes and acknowledge that each person on the list deserves to be there. Personally, there are a few people who I don’t think are all that great, but the hardware they were awarded they earned. Because the list is so short, ranking it is both unfair and objectively impossible, as you will see. So it is presented in alphabetic order, by first name because we want to be on a friendly, first name basis with these success stories.
As a teaser there are two – and only two – people who make the EGOT+ category. You will have to scan the list to find out who they are and what the EGOT+ designation means.
1. Audrey Hepburn
Honest, I decided on listing them by first name from the beginning. Anyone who knows anything about Hollywood and movies knows the name of Audrey Hepburn. Most people know her as an actress for Roman Holiday but that is the only Academy Award she earned. Ever. She the first of several people on this list who qualified only having won one award in each of the 4 categories. Theater buffs may easily recognize earning the Tony for her role in Ondine. But really, only a single Oscar? This is the type of stuff that fuels conspiracy theories. For the record, she won an Emmy for “Gardens of the World with Audrey Hepburn” and a Grammy for “Audrey Hepburn’s Enchanted Tales.” The Grammy was awarded posthumously in 1994 as Hepburn died in 1993. It’s fair if you want to make the case that she just squeaked in the door on to this list, but maybe the Grammy judges recognized her mistreatment by the Academy.
2. Barbra Streisand
Barbra has largely faded out of the limelight, but she was one of the great talents in Hollywood for more than 3 decades. She won a Special Tony award for Star of the Decade in 1970. If you don’t recognize her movies you definitely recognize her songs, which include “Evergreen” for which she won a Grammy, “People”, and the duet with Bee Gees star Barry Gibb, “Guilty.” She picked up an Oscar early in her career for Funny Girl but is also famous for her role in A Star is Born. A close second to being the most political person on this list, she was on President Nixon’s Enemies List for her liberal views and staunch support of the Democratic party. Even in 2017, at age 75, she gave a speech in support of woman’s rights.
3. Christopher Plummer
Plummer is very much in the Hollywood news as he was named to replace the disgraced Kevin Spacey for the recent movie release of All the Money in the Word. (His casting shouldn’t surprise you as he played Ebenezer Scrooge in The Man Who Invented Christmas.) You have to do some serious scrolling if you go to IMDB’s list of movies which totals 212 and dates back to 1953. He earned his Grammy for The Sound of Music in 1965 as a cat member (someone should probably point this out to IMDB). His snagged the Oscar for Beginners in 2011, the final piece of hardware needed to make this list. To round out the list, he got multiple Emmys for Arthur Hailey’s the Moneychangers and Madeline, Tony Awards for Cyrano and Barrymore.
4. Harry Belafonte
Many people know the name of Harry Belafonte but if asked to name any of his 6 EGOT awards most people would be guessing. At age 90, most people have forgotten about his Hollywood career. The last award he received, from the Academy in 2014 with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, notched his place on this list. This award was not given because the judges felt he needed to go out on a high note. He was good friends with Martin Luther King, Jr. and was politically active in the 1960’s civil rights protests. More than a protestor, Belafonte was personally involved with Africa, including the famine of suffering of the African people. When you hear the 1980’s song “We Are The World” you think of Michael Jackson or maybe Quincy Jones who assembled the group. The idea came from Belafonte.
5. Helen Hayes
Aptly named the “First Lady of the American Theater” Helen Hayes had a Hollywood career that spanned more than 8 decades. That is not a typo. Back when Schlitz was a popular beer and television was in its infancy, she earned an Emmy for her appearance in the “Schlitz Playhouse of Stars.” It seems only fitting then that one of her most often cited quotes is, “Age is not important unless you’re a cheese.” But careers and life sometimes take odd turns. Hayes was forced to retire from the theater because it was discovered she was allergic to the dust in the theater settings (if you’re asking what took so long, so am I). Her EGOT awards list is presented here, but most readers will not be familiar with her work. Oscars for The Sin of Madelon Claudet and the 1970 movie Airport; a Grammy in 1977 for “Great American Documents” and Tony Awards for “Happy Birthday” and “Time Remembered.”
6. John Gielgud
A name that is definitely not the first to come to mind when talking about Hollywood awards, Gielgud was the quintessential Shakespearean British actor and theater performer. He won the Oscar for Arthur in 1971 in the Best Actor in a Supporting Role category. Like Helen Hayes, his career spanned 8 decades. (It seems to be a good decision to prefer the theater over film if you want a long career.) But Gielgud’s status as one of Hollywood’s unknown may be largely due to his arrest for cruising in a public bathroom in 1953 in Chelsea, England. Homosexuality was a huge deal back then, particularly in Britain (not so much in Hollywood) and Gielgud was arrested and fined for his actions. As a cultural note, in the 21st century the perception of the public’s acceptance of gay men and women prior to the “age of gay enlightenment” is skewed. Despite the British press and others publishing the arrest, Gielgud continued his career, though he would later suffer a nervous breakdown over the incident.
7. James Earl Jones
If I was to tell you James Earl Jones was an Army Ranger during the Korean War, would you believe me? Well, he was, commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant. That is the official record but Jones himself had said in a 2009 interview that he did not successfully complete the training, an odd statement given that just being considered for Ranger training is an elite honor. On the stage, Jones is known for his performance in “The Great White Hope” a performance that would earn him his Tony in 1969. Before Denzel was the face of Fences Jones earned another Tony for his performance in the play of the same name. Known to Star Wars fans as the voice of Darth Vader, he declined to be credited in the first two movies because he believed the voice overs were only special effects, not actual acting. (How times have changed.) In 2011 he was awarded an Honorary Academy Award, which was given for his large body of work in motion pictures. If you want to quibble about this decision about the Academy, I am told you will have to take it up with Darth Vader.
8. Jonathan Tunick
Though Stephen Sondheim is most well-known for his hand in the continually successful Broadway production of Company (there is one recent version available on DVD) Tunick played an instrumental role in the play’s success. He was the first to receive a new Tony Award, Best Orchestrations, in 1997 for “Titanic.” Known as the “go to guy” for musical arrangements in the entertainment industry, outside of the industry is in definitely not a household name. Perhaps we should be glad that there are these various award programs that honor the many people who don’t become part of gossip columns or seek the limelight, but simply are at the top of their class in their chosen profession. A shoutout to the many unrecognized talents everywhere who Tunick unknowingly represents.
9. Liza Minnelli
She won the Oscar for her performance in Cabaret which is likely her biggest Hollywood connection. But to be honest, she is one person on this list that may have gotten more notoriety because of off-screen and off-stage “achievements” rather than assembling a solid body of work. She may be a good example of someone who is the exact opposite of Helen Hayes and John Gielgud who put together decades of work to earn a place on this list. There’s nothing wrong or undeserving about having an incredible amount of success over a short period of time. It’s likely that we include longevity as a component of greatness. Then again, she received her Grammy Award in 1990 as “A Special Grammy Award” as a Grammy “legend” which only adds to the debate.
10. Marvin Hamlisch
Hamlisch, like Minnelli, had a hot streak in the early 1970’s. Most famously known for his Academy Awards for The Sting and The Way We Were, he took in a total of 7 EGOT awards between 1973 and 1976. He picked up 4 Emmys between 1995 and 2001. When you’re hot, you’re hot. But this stack of hardware was well-deserved, and while he does not have the body of work one would expect from someone who is on the EGOT list, it definitely is an impressive list of individual achievements. Hamlisch and one other person on this list, Richard Rodgers, are in an even more elite class — the EGOT+ (read about Rodgers to find out why they are so elite).
11. Mel Brooks
Mel Brooks may be better known to most people for his movie Blazing Saddles, a Western movie that would have zero chance of being, made in the 21st century, even according to Brook’s himself. He made the most of his opportunities with the movie and stage production of The Producers, where he picked up 3 of the 4 EGOT category awards. That leaves the Emmys, which he picked up three for his appearances in “Mad About You in ’97, ‘98′ and ’99. His name is synonymous with comedy, and he has taken it to new levels of excellence throughout his 50+ years of being involved with Hollywood and Broadway. Blazing Saddles is the most well-known of his movies because it is politically incorrect in so many ways — something that the current culture should make a note of.
12. Mike Nichols
Another, relatively common name, that is not likely to ring a bell with many people, Nichols is very easily recognized when you read the list of his Broadway achievements, each which have earned him at least one Tony award: “Barefoot in the Park”, “Luv and The Odd Couple” (more commonly known as “The Odd Couple”), “Plaza Suite”, “The Prisoner of Second Avenue”, “Annie”, “Monty Python’s Spamalot” and the 2012 version of “Death of a Salesman.” Oh, that Mike Nichols. While we are at it, we might as well include his Oscar for The Graduate. Everyone makes career decisions they regret, and maybe Nichols’ mistake was not using his real name – Mikhail Igor Peschkowsky. That is a name we would have remembered. But his career began during the Cold War, and having such as Russian sounding name (but actually he was born in Berlin, Germany) it may have been a smart career move. This is an EGOT person who is far more easily recognized for his body of work instead of his name.
13. Richard Rodgers
Rodgers and Hamlisch are in the EGOT+ elite class because both have also won the Pulitzer Prize for their work. They are the only two people in history to accomplish this amazing feat. But when I saw Rodgers’ name and then finalized the list, my first question was, “What happened to Hammerstein?” Turns out Hammerstein only managed 8 Tony Awards and 2 Oscars — and won the Pulitzer Prize along with Rodgers. Rodgers picked up the hardware for the Emmy with “Winston Churchill: The Valiant Years” and the Grammy for “The Sound of Music” in 1960 and “No Strings” in 1962. In many people’s minds it is very difficult to separate Rodgers and Hammerstein. But in this case we must, to properly recognize the many achievements of Rodgers. He won an Oscar in 1945 for It Might As Well Be Spring.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qy6wo2wpT2k
14. Rita Moreno
When you see the name Rita Moreno it is not the first name that comes to mind when talking about Hollywood’s most beautiful women. The reason for this may be more obvious than you think. Moreno was a rare combination of beauty and talent in a movie world where the stereotype of the empty headed beauty pervades the culture. Who can earn an Oscar for a classic performance in West Side Story and then follow it up with an Emmy for their appearance on “The Muppet Show”? Moreno did. OK, let’s get even more versatile. She won an Emmy for the 1970’s children show “The Electric Company.” Finally, she picked up a Tony in the Best Featured Actress in a Play category for her stage performance in “The Ritz.” By the way, if the name Moreno sounds Italian, she’s not. She’s Puerto Rican.
15. Robert Lopez
Two things stand out about this surprising and relatively unknown EGOT member. He is the youngest person on the list but also the person to earn a spot on the list in the shortest amount of time (10 years). If you have seen Frozen you have seen the work of Robert Lopez. All of his hardware has been collected in less than 14 years. He picked up 2 Tonys for “The Book of Mormon” and another for “Avenue Q” way back in 2004. If you have seen “Wonder Pets” on TV you know of his work. After graduating from college he and his wife-to-be, Kristen Anderson, struggled to survive by living on fast food, proving that there is an upside to fast food. But I wish he would find a professional name so he could be more easily identified among the masses.
16. Scott Rudin
More recently known for the movie No Country for Old Men, Rudin’s hardware is mostly stacked up in Tony awards for a string of successes that include “Fences”, “Death of a Salesman” (2012 version) and “The Book of Mormon.” Yes, it’s the same “Book of Mormon” play that Robert Lopez was part of and Rudin walked away with a Grammy for his efforts. But Rudin’s Emmy for “He Makes Me Feel Like Dancin’” is unique because it is only one of a very few films to win both an Academy Award (Best Documentary Feature) and an Emmy (Best Children’s Programming). Most of Rudin’s successes have been of recent vintage, so he can be considered somewhat of a late bloomer to the world of entertainment awards. At 59, he still has a lot of life left in him.
17. Whoopi Goldberg
Of all the people on this list, the one most modern Americans would connect to politics is Whoopi. And that makes some people she is underserving or overrated to appear on this list. But looking at her body of work, with perhaps one exception she deserves to be on this list. In 1990 she won the Oscar for her role as psychic Oda Mae Brown in Ghost. It didn’t hurt that she was cast alongside Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore, but did get the nod for Best Actress in a Supporting Role over Diane Ladd (Wild at Heart), Mary McDonnell (Dances with Wolves), Annette Bening (The Grifters), and Lorraine Bracco (Goodfellas). I thought McDonnell should have gotten it, but what hurt McDonnell was that Costner really didn’t have to do much acting. Her Emmy came from “The View” and the Tony from “Thoroughly Modern Millie.” “Whoopi Goldberg: Direct from Broadway” earned her the Grammy for a number of reasons, including being a one “man” show and having a career breakout comedy routine.
By the way, several sources in Wikipedia state there are only 12 total EGOT winners. You can check this list out for yourself, but we count 17. Now you know who you can trust for the best information.
One thing about this list despite the discrepancies with other website counts for the EGOT candidates, is that it covers people from virtually every type of cultural and economic background, proving talent is talent no matter what your beginning in life. Theater seems to be the choice for actors seeking a long career, but many of those on this list gave in and transitioned to making films in Hollywood. More than a few were politically active — voluntarily or involuntarily. And there are those who we can raise an eyebrow or two at in somehow assembling the requisite qualifications for inclusion.
The members of the elite EGOT club are from every category of entertainer. It’s not only about the acting. Some have excelled as playing Shakespearean characters on stage, while other have committed themselves to musical creation and production. There are comedians and singers, some who are still with us and others who have left us with lifetime memories that will be heard and seen in movies for decades to come. You have to think that somehow, someway, these 17 people found a way to maximize their talents and channel them into a creative form. And we are all the better for it.
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