Top 10 People Who Won Oscars for the Shortest Amount of Screen Time

The 9th Academy Awards introduced the Best Supporting Actor and Supporting Actress categories with Gale Sondergaard winning the latter. She maintained the record for the shortest Oscar-winning performance for over 15 years. Starting as a Shakespearean stage actress, Sondergaard made her film debut here as Faith, a diabolical housekeeper. Sondergaard casts an icy shadow over every scene she’s in, delivering her lines with devious elegance. Her expressions alone are enough to make the audience feel as if they’ve entered a spider’s lair. The Oscar-winning role set the stage for Sondergaard to play more villains, even being considered for the Wicked Witch of the West. Sondergaard turned down that role due to the makeup, but she was always bewitching no matter how small a role.

1964 saw Patricia Neal win the Best Actress Oscar for “Hud.” At just under 22 minutes, it’d be the category’s shortest winning performance ever. Yet, it wasn’t that year’s shortest Oscar-winning role. Margaret Rutherford won Best Supporting Actress for her delightful work in “V.I.P.s.” This aptly-titled ensemble piece included big names such as Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, and Orson Welles, among others. Rutherford stood out with her comedic turn as the absent-minded Duchess of Brighton, who takes one too many pills before boarding a plane. Also winning a Golden Globe, Rutherford showed that even on an aircraft full of A-listers, a character actress can soar above the rest. Humorously, Rutherford was at the hairdresser when she won while Patricia Neal was asleep.

1991 gave us two Oscar-winning roles that were low on screen time. These characters possess such larger-than-life presences that you’d swear they were in their respective films longer. In under 25 minutes, Anthony Hopkins hissed his way to a Best Actor Oscar as Hannibal Lecter. Almost 40 years after being nominated for “Shane,” Jack Palance lassoed Best Supporting Actor for a different kind of western. While sadly short-lived, the rugged Curly Washburn scored one of the funniest one-liners in “City Slickers.” At the same time, Palance brings surprising depth to Curly as he teaches Billy Crystal’s Mitch about finding that “one thing” in life. Palance was 73 when he won, but he had the energy of a 23-year-old, doing one-armed pushups during his speech.

Jason Robards received his first Oscar for portraying Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee in “All the President’s Men.” That role clocked in below 13 minutes, but Robards topped himself one year later, winning Best Supporting Actor again for an even briefer performance. Playing another historical figure, Robards slips into the role of Dashiell Hammett, the author of hardboiled detective novels such as “The Maltese Falcon.” The 1977 film “Julia” is based on a story by Hammett’s longtime romantic partner Lillian Hellman, portrayed by Jane Fonda. Hellman’s friendship with the titular Julia wasn’t exactly as autobiographical as the author claimed. However, the film touches upon the very real relationship between Hellman and Hammett with Fonda and Robards sharing natural chemistry during their fleeting screen time.

Funnily enough, Jason Robards took center stage in this 1965 dramedy, but co-star Martin Balsam won the Oscar for his supporting work as agent Arnold Burns. The brother of Robards’ Murray, Arnold couldn’t be more different than his sibling. Where Murray is a joker who refuses to conform, Arnold is a practical thinker who wishes that his brother would blend in with the crowd. Despite being at odds, Arnold loves his brother and can’t bring himself to be that mad at him. Arnold could’ve been a one-dimensional role, especially with such limited screen time. Yet, Balsam brings layers to a former prankster who surrenders to society for the sake of his family and sincerely believes that Murray needs to do the same.

Martin Balsam’s record for the shortest winning performance in the Best Supporting Actor category was broken six years later. It’s hard to believe that Ben Johnson appears for less than ten minutes as Sam the Lion, which speaks volumes about his charisma. In his finest scene, Balsam delivers a nostalgic monologue about the one who got away and his longing for more time. It’s a simple yet profound moment that’s only more powerful knowing that this is Sam’s swan song. According to director Peter Bogdanovich, Johnson turned down the part three times because he thought it was too wordy. Johnson remained uncertain even when John Ford pushed him to accept. He eventually got on board after Bogdanovich said that he could win the Oscar.

Breaking the record previously held by Gale Sondergaard, Gloria Grahame prevailed in Best Supporting Actress with nine-and-a-half minutes. She doesn’t appear until the third act of “The Bad and the Beautiful” as Rosemary Bartlow, a Southern belle married to a screenwriter. In a film full of cutthroat characters, Grahame shines as a shallow wife with wandering eyes, ultimately leading to her downfall. Grahame kept her Oscar acceptance speech short as well, summoning a “thank you very much” before darting off. She described this as “a really bad attack of ‘Oscar Fright.’” Grahame allowed her son Timothy to play and sleep with the statue, saying, “No fond mother takes away her child’s favorite plaything!” The Oscar would move to Grahame’s mantle during her later years, however.

This historical epic is over three hours long with Maureen Stapleton appearing in less than 5% of the picture. Just because her screen time is brief doesn’t mean that the shoot flew by for Stapleton. One scene required her to perform 80 takes, leading Stapleton to ask director Warren Beatty if he was out of his mind. It paid off in Oscar gold, as Sapleton won Best Supporting Actress for playing real-life Russian-born activist Emma Goldman. Stapleton portrays Goldman as someone who might not seem imposing on the surface. If you challenge her to a debate, though, she’ll always hold her own with firm resilience and rapid-fire eloquence. It’s a small role that manages to be towering, scoring Sapleton the Oscar after three previous nominations.

Accepting her Oscar for portraying Queen Elizabeth I, Dame Judy Dench famously said, “I feel for eight minutes on the screen, I should only get a little bit of him.” Actually, Dench’s screen time was closer to six minutes. In any case, it’s funny to think that Dench spent hours in the costume and makeup departments for what’s practically a cameo. Nevertheless, Dench still brings an all-encompassing presence to the sharp-tongued Queen. As intimidating as she can be, Dench injects the role with a sly playfulness and a soft spot for a good romance. It might not be the most complex role of Dench’s illustrious career. As Robin Williams said when he opened the envelope, though, “There is nothing like a Dame!”

“Network” marked several Academy Awards records. It remains tied for the film with the most acting wins. Peter Finch became the first posthumous acting winner. Last but not least, Beatrice Straight still holds the record for the shortest Oscar-winning performance. Besting Gloria Grahame’s record by four minutes and 30 seconds, Straight played Louise Schumacher, the wife of a news division president. Straight is nothing short of explosive in a scene where Louise’s husband comes clean about an affair. As her earlier restraint crumbles, Louise unleashes all of the anger, sadness, and neglect she’s been bottling up for years. And somehow, there’s an ounce of love left as Louise accepts that her marriage is over. It’s an Oscar scene in every sense.

What small role would you award an Oscar? Let us know in the comments!