Has anyone ever won both an Oscar and a Nobel Prize?

Yes, there is more than one!

Upon searching the Internet, a prominent search that comes up frequently is an Irish literary figure called George Bernard Shaw. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature by the Swedish Academy in 1925. The Nobel Committee stated that his works are "marked by both idealism and humanity, its stimulating satire often being infused with a singular poetic beauty." However, Shaw, a quirky codger who cared little for honors, complained, "I can forgive Alfred Nobel for having invented dynamite, but only a fiend in human form could have invented the Nobel Prize."

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mGeorge Bernard Shaw at work

However, 13 years later, in 1938, the Oscars paid little attention to the stubborn old man. They awarded Best Writing, Screenplay to the film adaptation of his famous play "Pygmalion." This award is equivalent to today's Best Adapted Screenplay. The film received three nominations that year, including Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Actress. As expected, Shaw remained unimpressed and responded, "It's an insult for them to offer me any honour, as if they had never heard of me before – and it's very likely they never have. They might as well send some honour to George for being King of England." However, a friend of his later reported seeing the trophy in Shaw's home.

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Still of "Pygmalion"

And thus, Shaw became the first person to achieve the distinction of winning both a Nobel Prize and an Oscar.

This record was tied only in 2016 by another renowned figure who cared little for accolades, Bob Dylan. That year, the Swedish Academy awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature to the legendary American folk singer "for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition." At the age of 75, Dylan became the first musician to receive this honor since the establishment of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1901. Similar to Shaw, the haughty Dylan did not immediately collect the award. Instead, he kept fans and readers in suspense for several months before quietly meeting with the Swedish Academy and discreetly accepting the medal and certificate.

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Bob Dylan and his Nobel Prize medal

Back in 2001, at the Academy Awards ceremony, Dylan received Best Original Song for "Things Have Changed," the theme song from the film "Wonder Boys." This marked an achievement for the folk poet at the turn of the century.

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Still of "Wonder Boys"

Certainly, literature has always been intertwined with the stories told through film. While the foundation of cinema lies in science and technology, the idea of a Nobel laureate in chemistry, physics, or biology also winning an Oscar remains a far-fetched one for the time being. However, it's not entirely implausible that someday a Nobel Peace Prize recipient, actively involved in writing a script of his/her life story, could also win a screenplay award.

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