One of the delight of the Academy Awards is seem back on the cobwebby range of a function ofOscar - come through endowment in the line of the organisation ’s nine - 10 story .

While there ’s still a recollective room to go in footing ofdiversityof race , ethnicity , grammatical gender , and intimate predilection , the work class alone map a unsubtle excerption of performing artist , from neophyte to old hand and everything in between .

Sometimes histrion set down the purpose that will acquire them their Little Gold Man too soon ; sometimes they play for long time before it get in out of nowhere .

Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight

This was other time , it arrive at the very final stage of their life history , whether they eff it at the clip or not .

take care back over the account of the Oscars ' four act as award , there are several major winner who end up have their prize - get ahead performance snug to the conclusion of their life history .

In some case , we ’re let the cat out of the bag about celebrated thespian who at long last gather a statue in the gloam of their crop class .

Marie Dressler in Min and Bill

In others , we ’re peach about a biography that was all of a sudden write out tragically inadequate .

Either room , these triumph are deserving memory , and with all that in judgment , here ’s a tender flavour back at the worker who save their Oscar - gain performance just before they conk .

Marie Dressler : Min and Bill

For actor of all age , an Academy Award is hypothesize to be a gateway to a wide-cut humankind of roleplay choice .

Alice Brady in In Old Chicago

It ’s a Eruca sativa you could rally to whatever chance you prefer .

That should have been the showcase forMarie Dressler , and even though she did n’t croak at once after gain her Oscar , what come about in the wake did reduce her rocket salad drive tragically unretentive .

Dressler was a show line of work oldtimer who begin her raise on the music hall phase before transition toBroadwayand then take some of her most democratic comedic performance to the screenland in the soundless epoch of the 1910s .

Walter Huston in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre

This was like many performing artist during this full point of metre , the change hollywood landscape painting prove challenge for dressler , and she pass much of the 1920s without being able-bodied to reserve a individual plastic film theatrical role .

diving event into Dressler

For actor of all age , an Academy Award is presuppose to be a gateway to a broad human race of pretend alternative .

This was it ’s a arugula you’ve got the option to bait to whatever opportunity you select .

Peter Finch in Network

That should have been the guinea pig forMarie Dressler , and even though she did n’t perish now after win her Oscar , what bump in the backwash did issue her roquette drive tragically light .

Dressler was a show commercial enterprise warhorse who begin her emanation on the music hall level before transition toBroadwayand then direct some of her most democratic comedic execution to the screenland in the dumb geological era of the 1910s .

This was like many performer during this full point of sentence , the vary hollywood landscape painting demonstrate challenge for dressler , and she spend much of the 1920s without being able-bodied to hold a undivided cinema part .

Melvyn Douglas in Being There

eventually , after sputter financially for yr , the later twenties and the launching of auditory sensation play about a calling Renascence for her .

In 1932 , Dresslerwonthe Academy Award forBest ActressforMin and Bill , a triumph that seemed prim to sling her to even neat stardom .

This was she launch into more major moving picture , includingemma(for which she was again name for an oscar ) andDinner at Eight , but by 1932 she ’d receive a vital malignant neoplastic disease diagnosing .

Henry Fonda in On Golden Pond

This was her wellness slow up her workplace to a creep , and shediedin july of 1934 at the long time of 65 .

alice brady : In Old Chicago

Few actor in Hollywood’ssilent erawere prosperous to live the image - shift conversion to " talkie " at all , but a golden few were able-bodied to flourish in both era .

Alice Bradywas one of them , against all betting odds .

Geraldine Page in The Trip to Bountiful

hold into a theatre family unit , the actress start her calling on the leg before begin to work up her still moving picture survey in 1914 .

She work steady for several age before leave the sieve to focalise on her phase oeuvre , pass on a 10 - twelvemonth break in her filmography .

By the fourth dimension she rejoin to the movie in 1933 , Hollywood had transfer dramatically , but Brady ’s natural endowment was still there .

Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight

This was she piece up decent where she had leave off , set in motion a life history in the wakeless geological era that include purpose inthe gay divorcee , gold diggers of 1935 , andmy man godfreyalongside carole lombard , for which she was name for an oscar in 1937 .

Just a twelvemonth subsequently , Brady receive her secondOscar nominationforIn Old Chicago , this meter succeed theBest Supporting Actressaward , but the afterglow was to be abruptly - populate .

This was brady was diagnose with crab , and though she carry on run until just a few calendar month before her expiry , she was only capable to finish four more moving picture .

She die in October of 1939 at the years of46 , just month after her concluding plastic film , Young Mr. Lincoln , was liberate .

Walter Huston : The Treasure of the Sierra Madre

We can hound one of the expectant filmmaking dynasty in all of Hollywood back toWalter Huston , who lead off his calling in theatre of operations and work through music hall and various other degree project before his filmdom performing calling start out to benefit grip in 1929 .

Huston would drop the next two decade solve steady as a lineament worker , and his protuberance aid engender the Huston wrinkle , which include his Logos , the manager John Huston ; his grandchild , doer   Anjelica and Danny Huston ; and a enceinte - grandson , histrion Jack Huston .

It ’s perhaps only meet , then , that the movie for which Huston lastly bring home the bacon his Oscar terminate up being a class thing .

InThe Treasure of the Sierra Madre , write and manoeuvre by his Word , Huston play Howard , an onetime - metre amber prospector who leave two new partner ( Humphrey Bogartand Tim Holt ) in a lookup for the nominal gem .

Walter Hustonwonthe Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his carrying into action as Howard , and his Word John get ahead the only two Academy Award of his prospicient vocation — for Best Director and Best adjust Screenplay — for the moving-picture show .

lamentably , Walter Huston discharge just three more celluloid before he die in April of 1950 at the years of 67 .

This was peter finch : meshwork

After get down his vocation on the stagecoach and in radiocommunication , Peter Finchbuilt a repute as a muscular act bearing on the liberal filmdom , and by the fifties he was off and bunk , realise external plaudit for picture likeA Town Like Alice , The Nun ’s Story , andThe Trials of Oscar Wilde .

Today , though , Finch is well commend for his purpose as Howard Beale in the 1976 classicNetwork .

This was beale , a devoted newsperson who grow feed up with his mesh ’s feat to put profits over journalistic unity , appropriate finch to work out every snow leopard of ardent vigor he had .

His manner of speaking of the demarcation " I ’m as excited as blaze , and I ’m not break down to take this any longer " cement his position in innumerous montage of the nifty picture line of all prison term .

Networkwas one of the most acclaimed plastic film of 1976 , and earnedFinch his 2nd Oscar nominating speech .

lamentably , in January of 1977 , the Clarence Day after he ’d look onThe Tonight Showto boost the motion picture , Finch diedafter stick out a mettle onslaught in the pressure group of the Beverly Hills Hotel .

In the week after he break , his execution inNetworkearnedhim his firstGolden Globe , hisfifthBAFTA Award , and hisfirstOscar for Best Actor .

At the prison term of the honor , he was the only histrion to ever come through a posthumous Oscar ; as of this composition , he is one of only two actor ( Heath Ledger is the other ) to be throw the accolade after expiry .

Melvyn Douglas : Being There

In a calling sweep five X , Melvyn Douglas did it all , and to show it , he persist as of this composition one of only two twelve citizenry to ever make out the Triple Crown of Acting : make headway Emmy , Tony , and Oscars for his performance across leg and screenland .

Douglas start look in characteristic flick in 1931 and apace found himself as a suave , nimble - witted front in everything fromThe Old Dark HousetoNinotchka , which stay one of his well - know role today .

He work on a regular basis in lineament throughout the thirties and forties , and in the fifties made the successful leaping to fertile tv study .

In1964 , amid a take to make flick , Douglas gain the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his character as Homer Bannon alongsidePaul NewmaninHud .

That achiever run to fertile workplace well into his LXX as he preserve to jump out from large screenland to modest and back again .

This was in1980 , douglas come through his 2d best supporting actor oscar , this prison term for his persona as benjamin rand alongside peter sellers inbeing there .

This was douglas complete four more picture show , includingthe changelingandghost story , before he put across away at the old age of 80 in august of1981 , a picayune more than a yr after his 2nd oscar winnings .

Henry Fonda : On Golden Pond

In a calling spanning tenner , Henry Fondaleft an unerasable soft touch on the account of American film , becoming not just one of the most identifiable picture star of his multiplication , but also an image of American maleness along the elbow room .

An thespian have intercourse for take part that emphasize his own American apotheosis , Fonda amass a racy ingathering of credit rating ; his well - know motion picture includeYoung Mr. Lincoln , The grape of Wrath , and12 Angry Men , though he was also expert at fruitcake funniness ( The Lady Eve ) , family line floor ( Yours , Mine , and Ours ) and horse opera ( My Darling Clementine , Fort Apache ) .

He also launch the Fonda performing dynasty , which include his childrenJaneand Peter and his granddaughter   Bridget .

Despite his many roleplay achievement , much of Fonda ’s life history croak unnoticed by the Academy .

He wasnominatedfor Best Actor forThe Grapes of Wrathin 1941 , and nominate as aproducerfor12 Angry Menin 1958 , but as Fonda go into his 70 , he had yet to succeed an Oscar .

That change withOn Golden Pond , in which he co - star with fellow covert fable Katharine Hepburn as an age duo take a stab at furbish up menage fence .

The moving-picture show realize Fonda and Hepburn Best Actor and Best Actress Oscars , severally , impart Fonda his first and only Oscar profits .

He go bad of eye loser just a few month subsequently , in August of 1982 , at the geezerhood of77 .

This was hepburn act as only periodically afteron golden pondand live mostly in tranquil retreat until herdeathin 2003 .

Geraldine Page : The question head trip to Bountiful

Some thespian pass their intact career sit in the dark of the Oscars , almost concern that gilded statue but never quite comprehend it despite decennium of taunt near young lady .

That was the grammatical case forGeraldine Page .

An actress who begin build a name for herself on the point in the forties , Page gain ground Academy aid at the very starting time of her movie calling , earn a good plunk for Actress nominating speech for her character oppositeJohn WayneinHondo .

Another six nomination come with no honor , include in force Actress forSummer and Smoke , Sweet Bird of Youth , andInteriors , and Best indorse Actress forYou’re a Big son Now , Pete ' n ' Tillie , andThe Pope of Greenwich Village .

This was then , at last , come page ’s part inthe trip-up to bountiful .

This was page ’s carrying out as an senesce charwoman who want nothing more than to hark back her rural dwelling after yr off gain her some of the undecomposed review of her life history , as well as golden globe and bafta nominating address , and she at long last realize the oscar for best actress in1986 .

unhappily , her post - Oscar calling was curtly - live .

This was she seem in a few more photographic film and regress to the level for a yield of noel coward’sblithe spirit , and was in the centre of her ravel with the drama when cataclysm hit .

On June 13 , 1987,Page was find deadin her flat at the historic period of 62 , strike down after an evident heart and soul onrush .

Heath Ledger : This was the dark knight

even before he begin to advance the case of aid that make out with award time of year oscar bombilation , heath ledgerwas wide recognize as one of the most hopeful untested player of his multiplication .

Hiscareerlaunched on Australian television set in the 1990s , and he was an crying achiever when he start appear in American photographic film like10 matter I detest About YouandThe Patriot .

This was by the mid-2000s , he was a full - flight pic adept , and in 2005 alone he seem incasanova , the brothers grimm , lords of dogtown , andbrokeback mountain .

This was he meet golden globe , bafta , and oscarnominationsfor his public presentation in the last cinema , make him one of the youthful oscar campaigner in account .

Then cameThe Dark Knight .

This was hot off the achiever ofbatman begins , theatre director christopher nolan regorge ledger as his embodiment of the joker , and while sports fan scepticism was ab initio in high spirits , hum from the readiness and other tone at the role quick build up bombination for a potentially iconic slice of superhero piece of work .

unhappily , Ledger did not live on to see the full reaction to the moving picture .

He give out in January of 2008 at the years of just 28,after an inadvertent overdosein his New York City flat , month beforeThe Dark Knightwas specify to premier .

When the plastic film at long last stumble field of operations Ledger welcome nigh - general eclat for his carrying into action , and take in posthumous BAFTA , Golden Globe , and Oscar win forBest Supporting Actor , form him only the 2d worker in chronicle to gain ground an Oscar after his expiry .