In the American entertainment industry, there are four major awards for excellence in television, film, theater and music.
Their winners receive Emmy, Oscar, Tony and Grammy statuettes, respectively.
If someone competes for all these prizes, they automatically receive the title of winner of the so-called “Grand Slam of American Show Business.” This formulation came from actor Philip Michael Thomas.
History knows sixteen stars who managed to collect the entire collection of these awards.
The first person to become the darling of American show business was composer, actor and producer Richard Rogers. He collected all these figurines already in 1962.
He received an Oscar in 1946 for the best song for the film “Fair” (dir. Walter Lang).
An Emmy in 1962, a Grammy in 1960, and a Tony in 1950.
Barbra Streisand managed to put together a complete Grand Slam set the fastest.
In just seven years, she won a Grammy (1963), an Emmy (1965), an Oscar (1968) and a Tony (1970).
Singer and actress Helen Hayes collected all these awards in 1977.
She put the Oscar on her shelf back in 1932, receiving it for her role in the film “The Sin of Madelon Claude” (dir. Edgar Selwyn).
She received an Emmy in 1953, a Grammy in 1977, and a Tony in 1947.
In 1977, Rita Moreno, the star of the legendary musical West Side Story (dir. Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins), also won her Grand Slam, for which she received an Academy Award. She won an Emmy in 1977, a Grammy in 1972, and a Tony in 1975.
dance from the film “West Side Story”, in which Moreno is the soloist
In the 90s, five immediately received the Grand Slam.
The first among them was the star of the film “Cabaret”, actress Liza Minnelli. She won a Tony in 1965, an Oscar in 1972, and an Emmy a year later. And she managed to complete her collection of awards only in 1990, when she was awarded an honorary Grammy.
Actor John Gielgud collected a full set of awards in 1991, when he received his coveted Emmy, for which he was nominated for the fifth time at that time. This award was brought to him by the mini-series “Summer Rental” (dir. Martin Friend).
Ten years earlier, he received an Oscar for the film “Arthur” (dir. Steve Gordon). Gielgud won a Grammy in 1979, and a Tony in 1961.
In 1994, Audrey Hepburn joined the Grand Slam winners.
She received her first Oscar in 1954 for the film “Roman Holiday” (dir. William Wilder).
She received a Tony in 1954, an Emmy in 1993, and a Grammy in 1994.
Composer Marvin Hamlisch won three Oscars in 1974. Two of them for the music and soundtrack to the film “The Meeting of Two Hearts” (dir. Sydney Pollock), and one more for the musical adaptation to the film “The Sting” (dir. George Roy Hill).
After this, the composer was awarded the Grammy (1974), Tony (1976) and Emmy (1995) awards.
The composer, famous for his music for the legendary TV series Columbo, Jonathan Tunick received his Oscar in 1977 for the musical composition for the film A Little Serenade (dir. Harold Prince).
He was awarded an Emmy only in 1982, a Grammy in 1988, and a Tony in 1997.
Mel Brooks is famous for taking part in the creation of films at literally every level of their production. During his lifetime, he wrote both scripts and music for films that he himself filmed and acted in. There are very few masterpieces among his filmography. But, despite this, he was able to collect all the prestigious US show business awards.
In 1968, he received an Oscar for the screenplay for the comedy “Springtime for Hitler,” which he himself directed. In 1967 – an Emmy, in 1998 – a Grammy, and in 2001 – a Tony.
Director Mike Nichols collected this entire set of awards for 40 long years. The first of these he received was an Emmy (1961), then a Tony (1964).
In 1967, he was awarded an Oscar for the film “The Graduate.” And only in 2001 he received an Emmy.
Whoopi Goldberg began completing her “Helmet” with the Grammy Awards (1985).
After that there was an Oscar in 1990 for his supporting role in the film “Phantom” (dir. Jerry Zucker). Well, she received an Emmy and a Tony in 2002.
Only in the 81st year of his life did actor James Earl Jones collect the entire set of awards. For “complete happiness,” all he needed was an Oscar, which he was awarded in 2011 for his contribution to cinema.
Well, he received the first of these awards, the Tony, back in 1969. In 1977 he was awarded a Grammy and in 1991 an Emmy.
Producer Scott Rudin won an Emmy in 1984 and a Tony ten years later. He received his first Oscar for the Coen brothers’ film No Country for Old Men. Well, the Grammy was in 2012.
Last year, two more joined the aforementioned darlings of American show business.
In 2014, composer and singer Robert Lopez received an Oscar. His most famous work is the music and scripts for individual episodes of the TV series South Park.
He was awarded a Grammy in 2012, an Emmy in 2008, and a Tony in 2004.
Well, composer and actor Harry Belaforte took the longest to collect this entire set of awards. For this he needs was 61 years old.
Last year he was awarded an honorary Oscar. But he received the first award from the list – “Tony” – only in 1953. He received an Emmy in 1960 and a Grammy in 1961.
