For some actors, the road to winning an elusive Oscar can take years, even decades. Even then, there’s no guarantee they’ll ever reach that peak. Each year there are several talented actors at the top of their game, all deserving of the title. It’s a mixture of good campaigning, timing and luck. It is ultimately in the hands of the Academy.
But then there are other actors who, after their first starring role in a major motion picture, win their first Oscars that same year. It’s a major accomplishment for an actor, and one that has the ability to turn the tide of his career. Going from relatively unknown artist to Oscar winner in less than a year is admittedly rare, but it does happen. The first time this happened was in the 1940s, and the event keeps reoccurring from time to time.
Interestingly, this mostly affects actors rather than actors. In fact, there have only been two instances in history where a male actor won an Oscar for Best Actor or Best Actor in a Supporting Role. Below you’ll find out more about the actors and actresses who won Oscars for their very first screen performance – you’ll probably recognize some of them as they’ve become A-list stars in Hollywood.
Here are 10 actors who won Oscars for their breakthrough roles in films from the 1940s to the 2010s.
