Hollywood History the First Actor To Turn Down an Oscar

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I think most people have at least heard of the Oscars, right? They’re a huge cultural event – every year, friends get together to watch and everyone seems to be making predictions. But it’s interesting – a lot of really famous actors actually don’t think the Oscars are that important, and some have even publicly disliked the whole thing and the people behind it.

A memorable moment occurred in 1973 when Marlon Brando didn’t attend the Oscars. He sent Sacheen Littlefeather, a Native American activist, to speak on his behalf and raise awareness about the mistreatment of her community. Even earlier, in 1935, Dudley Nichols made history as the first person to decline an Oscar. He did so in solidarity with a writers’ strike, accepting the award only after the dispute was resolved.

The Oscars aren’t popular with every actor. George C. Scott, for example, famously asked to be removed from consideration for Best Actor in 1971. Despite delivering a critically acclaimed performance as General George S. Patton in the film Patton, he sent the Academy a telegram calling the awards show a superficial and commercially driven “two-hour meat parade.”

Scott explained he didn’t mean any disrespect to his fellow actors, he just disagreed with how the awards were decided. However, the Academy still presented him with the award. Since Scott didn’t attend the ceremony, the producer of Patton accepted it on his behalf. True to his principles, Scott returned the golden statue to the Academy the very next day.

Though George C. Scott died in 1999, he’s still remembered as a Hollywood iconoclast. Many film lovers continue to enjoy his most famous roles, particularly his performance as Ebenezer Scrooge in the 1984 film A Christmas Carol, which is often considered the definitive adaptation. His powerful and realistic acting in films like Dr. Strangelove and The Hustler still inspires actors today who aim to bring that same intensity to their work.

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2026-02-03 16:44