Russell was an American Army veteran who served in World War II and lost both of his hands during the conflict. After he was discharged, Russell starred in 1946's "The Best Years of Our Lives," for which he won the 1947 Academy Award for best supporting actor and an honorary Oscar for being an inspiration to veterans returning home from war. 

He is the first and only actor to win two Oscars for the same role and was also reportedly the first Oscar recipient to sell their award.

The New York Times reported that Russell sold his award for $60,500 in 1992 in order to pay for a cataract operation for his second wife, Betty Marshalsea.

"I love the Oscar but I love my wife more," he told The New York Times. "Although I've had the Oscar longer."

Harold Russell died on January 29, 2002.

Before winning an Oscar for her role in the 1952 film "Come Back, Little Sheba," Booth already had two Tony awards, including one for playing the same role in the stage version of the film.

She was the first actress ever to win both a Tony and an Oscar for the same role. Booth died on October 16, 1992.

Andrews began her career on the stage, but crossed over to the big screen in 1964 after starring as the titular character in "Mary Poppins." Andrews brought the magical nanny to life with her singing ability and acting talents. 

The following year, she earned the best actress award at the Oscars.

"I know you Americans are famous for your hospitality, but this is really ridiculous," she joked in her acceptance speech.

By 1969, Streisand was already an accomplished stage performer, having earned two Tony nominations. In fact, she'd already brought her famous "Funny Girl" character, Fanny Price, to life on the stage. She then broke into Hollywood by playing the same role on the big screen in the movie adaptation of the musical. 

In a historic year, Streisand tied for best actress with Katharine Hepburn at the Academy Awards. During her acceptance speech, she famously looked at her Oscar and said, "Hello, gorgeous," a reference to a scene in "Funny Girl."

"It was lovely to receive an Academy Award, I must say," Streisand told Variety in 2018, reminiscing about her first win. 

In 1977, she won her second, for best original song for "Evergreen" in her adaptation of "A Star Is Born." 

O'Neal had no acting experience when she was cast opposite her father, Ryan O'Neal, in "Paper Moon," which was a huge hit. While she was nominated for an Oscar, her father wasn't, which she claims sparked resentment, The New York Times reported. She is still the youngest Academy Award winner in a competitive category.

When asked in a 2020 CBS Sunday Morning interview if she hoped to win another Oscar, O'Neal responded, "No. Because that's not why I'm in it. Would I like that? I guess. For me, the biggest achievement would be that I did the best audition that I could do, that I got the role that I really wanted, and that I'm self-supporting through my own contributions."

Hutton jumped into the spotlight in 1980 when he starred in "Ordinary People." He played Conrad, a teenager who returns home from a psychiatric facility in an attempt to reconnect with his distant mother and cold father. 

When accepting his Academy Award the following year for best supporting actor, Hutton thanked his own father.

After switching from gynecology to acting, Ngor was cast as Dith Pran, a Cambodian journalist, in 1984's "The Killing Fields." His performance earned him an Oscar, making him the first Asian person to win best supporting actor.

While his performance was highly praised by critics, Ngor didn't appear in any other Oscar-worthy films. His career was tragically cut short when he was shot dead by gang members in Los Angeles in 1996, the AP reported.

After losing her hearing at 18 months old, Matlin acted onstage for most of her childhood. In 1986, she starred in her first film, "Children of a Lesser God."

She played a deaf woman who works at a school for the deaf and falls in love with a man, played by William Hurt, who struggles to understand her. 

She became the first and only deaf actress to win an Oscar when she won in the best actress category in 1987. At 21, Matlin was also the youngest woman to earn an Oscar in the best actress category.

In 2022, Troy Katsur became the first deaf man to receive an Oscar, winning the best supporting actor award for "CODA."

"Looking back now, thinking about that moment in the lights, with my heart pounding, Oscar in my hand, all I can say is I am grateful and humbled — still to this day," Matlin wrote in Entertainment Weekly in 2012. "Next to marrying my husband and the birth of my children, it is one of the best days ever. Twenty-five years later, it still feels just like yesterday."

In 1993, Paquin took on her first-ever acting role in "The Piano." She played Flora, a young girl who acted as an interpreter for her mute mother when they were shipped to New Zealand in the mid-19th century. 

At 11 years old, Paquin nervously accepted her award for best supporting actress on the Oscars stage by just staring into the camera and laughing before thanking a few people. She became the second-youngest winner in the category — only Tatum O'Neal was younger.

Hot off the success of her short-lived "American Idol" run, Hudson took on her first acting gig opposite Beyoncé in "Dreamgirls." Hudson played Effie White, the lead singer in the 1960s girl group who keeps getting pushed aside.

Hudson's singing voice and acting chops earned her the best supporting actress award in 2007. In her acceptance speech, Hudson thanked Jennifer Holliday, who originated the role on Broadway. 

Lupita Nyong'o grew up in Kenya and then studied at the Yale School of Drama, but she landed her first major film role — which would lead to an Oscar — before she'd even graduated.

In 2013's "12 Years a Slave," she played Patsey, an enslaved person on a Louisiana cotton plantation. 

The following year, she won the best supporting actress Oscar and thanked the spirit of Patsey for guiding her through the filming process. 

"When I look down at this golden statue, may it remind me and every little child that no matter where you are from, your dreams are valid," she said in her acceptance speech.