Along with being one of the favorites in the best picture category, “Belfast” shepherded producer, writer and director Kenneth Branagh into Oscars history books.
With nominations for best picture (as one of the film’s producers) and original screenplay, Branagh is the first person to be nominated in seven individual Oscar categories, surpassing George Clooney, Alfonso Cuarón and Walt Disney, who were recognized in six.
In addition, Branagh joins Clooney and Warren Beatty as the only people to have received noms in every eligible major category — picture, director, lead or supporting acting and both original and adapted screenplay.
Prior to nominations, he received five noms over his respectable career, across different categories — director (“Henry V”), actor (“Henry V”), supporting actor (“My Week With Marilyn”), adapted screenplay (“Hamlet”) and live-action short (“Swan Song”).
Branagh has been a respected actor and director for over three decades. He took on the words of William Shakespeare for his directorial debut “Henry V” (1989), which he also adapted and starred in. Garnering universal acclaim, Branagh received his first two noms for directing and best actor, standing as one of 10 instances a person has been nominated for both categories for the same feature film:
- Orson Welles, “Citizen Kane” (1941)
- Laurence Olivier, “Hamlet” (1948) – won for best actor
- Woody Allen, “Annie Hall” (1977) – won for best director
- Warren Beatty, “Heaven Can Wait” (1978)
- Warren Beatty, “Reds” (1981) – won for best director
- Kenneth Branagh, “Henry V” (1989)
- Kevin Costner, “Dances with Wolves” (1990) – won for best director
- Clint Eastwood, “Unforgiven” (1992) – won for best director
- Roberto Benigni, “Life is Beautiful” (1998) – won for best actor
- Clint Eastwood, “Million Dollar Baby” (2004) – won for best director
His next dances with Oscar would come in best live-action short “Swan Song” (1992), adapted screenplay for “Hamlet” (1996) and supporting actor for “My Week With Marilyn” (2011).
If the Focus Features’ film sustains its momentum, resulting in a night where Branagh wins picture, director and original screenplay, he’ll join a shortlist of eight people who have pulled off the “hat trick” of winning all three in a single year:
- Leo McCarey, “Going My Way” (1944)
- Billy Wilder, “The Apartment” (1960)
- Francis Ford Coppola, “The Godfather Part II” (1974)
- James L. Brooks, “Terms of Endearment” (1983)
- Peter Jackson, “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” (2003)
- Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, “No Country for Old Men” (2007)
- Alejandro G. Iñárritu, “Birdman” (2014)
- Bong Joon Ho, “Parasite” (2019)
The Oscars will take place on March 27.
