OscarsTrivia Questions & Answers
49 oscars trivia questions, each with the correct answer and a short explanation.
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Each question reveals the answer and a quick explanation below it.
1. Which film won Best Picture at the 2020 Academy Awards?
Answer: Parasite. Parasite made history as the first non-English Best Picture winner.
2. Which film won the Academy Award for Best Picture for the year 1972?
Answer: The Godfather. 'The Godfather' won Best Picture at the 1973 ceremony for the 1972 film year.
3. Who directed 'Schindler's List' (1993)?
Answer: Steven Spielberg. Steven Spielberg won Best Director for 'Schindler's List'.
4. Which film won Best Picture for the year 1994?
Answer: Forrest Gump. 'Forrest Gump' won Best Picture at the 1995 ceremony.
5. Which film was the first to win all five major Academy Awards (Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, Screenplay)?
Answer: It Happened One Night. 'It Happened One Night' (1934) was the first to sweep the 'Big Five'.
6. Which actress won her first Best Actress Oscar for 'Sophie's Choice' (1982)?
Answer: Meryl Streep. Meryl Streep won Best Actress for 'Sophie's Choice'.
7. Which film was the first animated feature to be nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars?
Answer: Beauty and the Beast. 'Beauty and the Beast' (1991) was the first animated Best Picture nominee.
8. Which film won the first-ever Academy Award for Best Picture (for 1927-28)?
Answer: Wings. 'Wings' won the first Best Picture (then 'Outstanding Picture').
9. Anthony Hopkins won an Oscar for Best Actor after appearing on screen for only 16 minutes in which film?
Answer: The Silence of the Lambs. Hopkins' portrayal of Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs (1991) is one of the shortest Best Actor-winning performances ever.
10. Which film earned Jodie Foster her first Academy Award for Best Actress?
Answer: The Accused. Jodie Foster won her first Best Actress Oscar for The Accused in 1988, playing a gang rape survivor.
11. Which actor won back-to-back Best Actor Oscars for 'Philadelphia' and 'Forrest Gump'?
Answer: Tom Hanks. Tom Hanks won consecutive Best Actor Oscars for those two films.
12. Which actress won Best Actress for 'Roman Holiday' (1953), her first major film role?
Answer: Audrey Hepburn. Audrey Hepburn won the Oscar for her breakout role.
13. Which film holds the record for most Academy Award nominations without winning a single Oscar?
Answer: The Turning Point. The Turning Point (1977) and The Color Purple (1985) both received 11 nominations with zero wins, but The Turning Point came first.
14. Marlon Brando won the 1973 Best Actor Oscar for The Godfather but famously refused it. Who accepted on his behalf?
Answer: Sacheen Littlefeather. Native American activist Sacheen Littlefeather took the stage to decline Brando's Oscar, citing Hollywood's treatment of Native Americans.
15. Marlon Brando won the Oscar for 'The Godfather' but refused it. Who accepted the award on his behalf?
Answer: Sacheen Littlefeather. Apache activist Sacheen Littlefeather accepted the award to protest Hollywood's treatment of Native Americans, per Brando's instructions.
16. What film earned Marlon Brando his first Academy Award for Best Actor?
Answer: On the Waterfront. Brando won his first Oscar for Best Actor for 'On the Waterfront' (1954); his role in 'A Streetcar Named Desire' earned him a nomination but not the win.
17. Which film holds the record as the only X-rated movie to win the Academy Award for Best Picture?
Answer: Midnight Cowboy. 'Midnight Cowboy' (1969) won Best Picture while carrying an X rating, which was later downgraded to R without any cuts.
18. Cate Blanchett became the first performer to win an Oscar for playing a character previously played by a different Oscar winner. Who was that character?
Answer: Katharine Hepburn. Blanchett won for playing Katharine Hepburn in 'The Aviator'; Hepburn herself had won four Oscars, making Blanchett the first to win for portraying a prior winner.
19. Which actress holds the record for the most Academy Award nominations without a win as of the early 2000s era of classic nominations?
Answer: Deborah Kerr. Deborah Kerr received six Oscar nominations and never won competitively, though she received an honorary Award in 1994, making her a long-standing record holder.
20. Marlon Brando famously refused his Oscar for 'The Godfather.' Who accepted on his behalf at the 1973 ceremony?
Answer: Sacheen Littlefeather. Sacheen Littlefeather, an Apache activist, declined the award on Brando's behalf to protest Hollywood's portrayal of Native Americans.
21. Which film holds the record for most Oscar wins without winning Best Picture, with four wins including Cinematography?
Answer: Cabaret. 'Cabaret' (1972) won eight Academy Awards — including Best Director, Actress, and Supporting Actor — but lost Best Picture to 'The Sting.'
22. Actress Louise Fletcher won the 1976 Best Actress Oscar for One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Who was she beaten by to win — i.e., who was the runner-up favorite going in?
Answer: Glenda Jackson. Glenda Jackson was the strong pre-ceremony favorite for Hedda; Fletcher's win was considered a mild upset over Jackson among Oscar watchers that year.
23. Which actor played the lead role in both 'The Mosquito Coast' (1986) and 'Witness' (1985), earning an Oscar nomination for only one?
Answer: Harrison Ford. Harrison Ford starred in both films and received his only Oscar nomination for Witness (1985), while The Mosquito Coast went largely unrecognized by the Academy.
24. Marlon Brando received his Oscar for 'The Godfather' but famously refused it. Who accepted on his behalf?
Answer: Sacheen Littlefeather. Native American activist Sacheen Littlefeather appeared on stage to decline Brando's Best Actor Oscar in protest of Hollywood's treatment of Indigenous peoples.
25. Cate Blanchett won her first Academy Award for playing Katharine Hepburn in a film directed by whom?
Answer: Martin Scorsese. Cate Blanchett won Best Supporting Actress for her role as Katharine Hepburn in Martin Scorsese's 'The Aviator' (2004).
26. Which actress played the lead in both 'Blue Jasmine' (2013) and 'Carol' (2015), winning an Oscar for the former?
Answer: Cate Blanchett. Cate Blanchett won the Best Actress Oscar for Woody Allen's 'Blue Jasmine' and starred in Todd Haynes's 'Carol' two years later.
27. Which film holds the record for winning the most Academy Awards without winning Best Picture?
Answer: Cabaret. Cabaret (1972) won eight Academy Awards — including Best Director, Best Actress, and Best Supporting Actor — but lost Best Picture to The Godfather.
28. Cate Blanchett won her first Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress playing which real-life person?
Answer: Katharine Hepburn. Blanchett won Supporting Actress for portraying Katharine Hepburn in Martin Scorsese's 'The Aviator' (2004).
29. Which film holds the record for the most Oscar nominations without winning a single award?
Answer: The Turning Point. 'The Turning Point' (1977) received 11 Academy Award nominations and won none, a record it shares with 'The Color Purple.'
30. Which actress played the lead in both 'Klute' (1971) and 'Coming Home' (1978), winning Oscars for both?
Answer: Jane Fonda. Jane Fonda won Best Actress Oscars for 'Klute' and 'Coming Home,' making her one of the defining dramatic actresses of the 1970s.
31. Which film features the only instance of a Best Picture Oscar winner also winning the Palme d'Or at Cannes?
Answer: Marty. 'Marty' (1955) is the only film to win both the Palme d'Or at Cannes and the Academy Award for Best Picture in the same year.
32. Marlon Brando declined his Best Actor Oscar for 'The Godfather.' Who accepted on his behalf and why?
Answer: A Native American activist named Sacheen Littlefeather, to protest Hollywood's treatment of Native Americans. Sacheen Littlefeather appeared on Brando's behalf at the 1973 ceremony to protest Hollywood's depiction and mistreatment of Native Americans.
33. Which film did Orson Welles lose the Best Director Oscar to in 1942, despite 'Citizen Kane' being widely considered superior?
Answer: How Green Was My Valley. 'How Green Was My Valley,' directed by John Ford, beat 'Citizen Kane' for Best Picture and Best Director at the 1942 Academy Awards.
34. Before 'The Godfather,' which film did Francis Ford Coppola direct that won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay?
Answer: Patton. Coppola co-wrote the screenplay for 'Patton' (1970) and won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay before directing 'The Godfather.'
35. Cate Blanchett won her first Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress playing Katharine Hepburn in a film about which aviator?
Answer: Howard Hughes. Blanchett won Best Supporting Actress for portraying Katharine Hepburn in Martin Scorsese's 'The Aviator' (2004), a biopic about Howard Hughes.
36. Marlon Brando won his second Best Actor Oscar for 'The Godfather.' Which film earned him his first?
Answer: On the Waterfront. Brando won his first Best Actor Oscar for On the Waterfront (1954); The Godfather (1972) brought his second, which he famously declined.
37. Ennio Morricone composed scores for hundreds of films. For which film did he finally win his first competitive Academy Award?
Answer: The Hateful Eight. Morricone won his first competitive Oscar for Best Original Score for Quentin Tarantino's The Hateful Eight (2015), having previously received only an honorary Oscar in 2007.
38. Which actress played the same character in both a Best Actress win AND a Best Supporting Actress nomination in separate films?
Answer: Cate Blanchett as Queen Elizabeth I. Cate Blanchett won Best Actress for 'Elizabeth' (1998) and received a Supporting nomination for 'Elizabeth: The Golden Age' (2007) as the same character.
39. Marlon Brando refused his Best Actor Oscar for 'The Godfather.' Who accepted on his behalf and why did Brando refuse?
Answer: Sacheen Littlefeather, to protest Hollywood's depiction of Native Americans. Activist Sacheen Littlefeather appeared in Apache dress to read Brando's statement refusing the award over Hollywood's treatment of Native Americans.
40. Meryl Streep received a record number of Oscar nominations. For which film did she win her first Academy Award?
Answer: Kramer vs. Kramer. Streep won Best Supporting Actress for 'Kramer vs. Kramer' (1979), the first of her three Oscar wins.
41. Cate Blanchett became the first performer to win an Oscar for playing a real person of the same gender who had already won an Oscar. Who was that person?
Answer: Katharine Hepburn. Blanchett won Best Supporting Actress for playing Katharine Hepburn in 'The Aviator' (2004); Hepburn herself holds the record for most acting Oscars.
42. Which film holds the distinction of being the first animated feature ever to receive a Best Picture Oscar nomination?
Answer: Beauty and the Beast. Beauty and the Beast (1991) became the first animated film nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards, before the animated feature category existed.
43. Marlon Brando famously refused his Best Actor Oscar for 'The Godfather.' Who accepted on his behalf and delivered a speech about Native American representation?
Answer: Sacheen Littlefeather. Sacheen Littlefeather, an Apache activist and actress, appeared on stage at the 1973 Oscars to decline Brando's award and protest Hollywood's depiction of Native Americans.
44. Which film holds the record for the most Academy Award nominations (14) without winning a single Oscar?
Answer: The Color Purple (1985). The Color Purple received 11 nominations and won zero — though True Grit and Bugsy also famously went winless, The Color Purple's shutout remains one of Hollywood's most shocking.
45. Meryl Streep won her first Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for which 1979 film?
Answer: Kramer vs. Kramer. Streep won her first Oscar for 'Kramer vs. Kramer' (1979); she had been nominated for 'The Deer Hunter' the prior year but didn't win.
46. Actress Haing S. Ngor won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role in 'The Killing Fields' — what was his real-life profession?
Answer: Physician. Haing S. Ngor was a Cambodian-American physician and genocide survivor who had no formal acting training before his Oscar-winning performance.
47. Marlon Brando won his second Academy Award for Best Actor for which film, but famously refused the Oscar?
Answer: The Godfather. Brando won for 'The Godfather' (1972) but sent Sacheen Littlefeather to decline the award in protest of Hollywood's treatment of Native Americans.
48. Marlon Brando won a Best Actor Oscar for 'The Godfather' but famously refused it. Who accepted on his behalf?
Answer: Sacheen Littlefeather. Sacheen Littlefeather, an Apache activist, appeared on stage in traditional dress to decline the award in protest of Hollywood's treatment of Native Americans.
49. Marlon Brando received a Best Actor Oscar for 'The Godfather' but famously refused it. Who accepted on his behalf?
Answer: Sacheen Littlefeather. Sacheen Littlefeather, an Apache activist, appeared at the 1973 Oscars to decline Brando's award in protest of Hollywood's treatment of Native Americans.
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