Rejection often leaves the rejected despondent, disappointed, and hurt. Regardless of the context, whether it be in love, friendships, family, or in employment, there is nearly always a valuable lesson to be had. As many a great sports star has said, we learn more in defeat than we do in victory. Rejection is problematic due to it nearly always feeling deeply personal, resulting in an inner inquiry, the mental post-mortem. Rejection from a love interest or a boss are what spring to mind, yet, what if the tables were turned? What if the employee rejects the employer, the sportsman rejects the sport, and in the film industry’s case, the actor or filmmaker knocks back the Academy?

The Academy Awards have regularly been utilized as a vehicle to further political, cultural, and societal beliefs to spread awareness on topical campaigns, and as a platform to voice the need for change. While it has been rare, and the case studies are few and far between, there have been a few instances where actors and filmmakers have declined their Oscars in protest of various issues. Let’s take a look at those who have refused Academy commendation…

Marlon Brando

Marlon Brando in The Godfather
Paramount Pictures

Marlon Brando is a name that was and remains synonymous with Hollywood greatness. His eminence in both the film industry and in popular culture made him one of the most decorated figures of the 20th century, with his influence on the art of acting still felt today. From A Streetcar Named Desire, On the Waterfront, and The Wild One, to Apocalypse Now, Last Tango in Paris, and of course, Francis Ford Coppola’s timeless classic, The Godfather. His remarkable filmography, which contains over 40 credits and two Academy Awards for Best Actor (for 1954’s On the Waterfront and 1972’s The Godfather) has him deservedly named the fourth Best Actor of all time on the American Film Institute’s “100 years… 100 stars” list.

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2023 marks 50 years since the 1973 Academy Awards, meaning it’s been half a century since Marlon Brando famously snubbed his second Oscar for Best Actor. The Godfather reigned supreme at the Oscars, claiming Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Actor, yet Brando’s absence was in protest of the treatment of the country’s Native Americans, sending fellow actor, and a key part of the American Indian Movement, Sacheen Littlefeather to the ceremony in his place. Littlefeather informed attendees that Brando “very regretfully” couldn’t accept the award due to the misrepresentation and mistreatment of Native Americans in the film industry, as well as wanting to shed light on the recent events at Wounded Knee which had been subject to a media blackout.

George C. Scott

George C Scott in Dr Strangelove
Columbia Pictures

Having plied his craft on Broadway, actor George C. Scott quickly began to draw the attention of Hollywood producers. Initially appearing in supporting roles in the likes of Anatomy of a Murder, The Hustler, and The Hanging Tree, following two nominations for Best Supporting Actor in consecutive years, Scott’s acting dexterity meant it was just a matter of time before his burgeoning potential as a lead was uncovered. It was a decade after his first nomination (and refusal) that George C. Scott would go on to claim the most prestigious individual award in film as the Academy’s Best Actor.

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Scooping the lauded prize for his performance as the fearless General Patton in Franklin J. Schaffner’s Patton, his work in the war movie garnered an abundance of critical acclaim. However, Scott made headlines when he refused the award. Having previously knocked back his nominations for The Hustler and Anatomy of a Murder, his outright refusal was hardly surprising. Branding the Award Ceremony a “two-hour meat parade, that is a public display with contrived suspense for economic reasons,” it was also reported that he had sent those at the Academy a telegram declaring that he would not be accepting their award, and requested they remove him their list of nominees.

Dudley Nichols

Cast of John Ford's 1935 movie The Informer
RKO Radio Pictures

An esteemed screenwriter and director, Dudley Nichols’ work was prolific during Hollywood’s Golden Age. He worked in frequent collaboration with The Searchersdirector John Ford, and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes' Howard Hawks. While he spent most of his working life behind the camera, it was while he was supposed to be in front of it that he caused the most furor. Having penned John Ford’s 1935 classic, The Informer, Nichols was in-line for Academy recognition, having been nominated for Best Screenplay.

With the film an ardent success, triumphing at the 1936 Academy Awards with four wins, including for Best Screenplay, Nichols unprecedentedly refused the award, stating that it was due to a writer’s strike, and the Academy’s failure to acknowledge the Screen Writers’ Guild. Although. Three years after his infamous shunning, Nichols purportedly accepted the award at the 1938 Awards. The scriptwriter and director’s rejection was the first of its kind and remained the only refusal for over 30 years until George C. Scott’s.