Have any actors or actresses ever declined an Academy Award, and if so, what were the reasons for their declination?

Allergic2Life

George C. Scott did for Patton, something to do with some Native American cause. Jul 21 06, 5:08 PM

debbie482

Yes George C Scott treament of Indians in movoes Jul 21 06, 5:12 PM

Jubal

Marlon Brando declined the award in 1972 for "The Godfather". Jul 21 06, 5:13 PM

darkpresence

Brando's refusal was the protest against treatment of Native Americans in movies http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=oscar2001_trivia Scott refused because he felt the competitiveness demeaning to actors. He actually refused the nomination to begin with, but some said it was because of his previous failures, that he wanted to spare himself embarassment. Draw your own conclusions. http://www.filmsite.org/aa70.html Jul 21 06, 5:48 PM

zbeckabee

Only two people have ever refused to accept an Academy Award. Both were Best Actors. GEORGE C. SCOTT refused his 1970 award for the title role in "Patton: Lust For Glory" because he detested the actual character of the man he had portrayed (although he had also stated in 1961 that he would never accept an Oscar award), and MARLON BRANDO refused his 1972 award for the title role in "The Godfather" as a means of publicising the cause of Native American Indians. In order to protest Hollywood's (and America's) poor treatment of Native Americans, Brando sent a woman who called herself SACHEEN LITTLEFEATHER to make a "refusal speech" on his behalf. In true Hollywood fashion however, she was later revealed as not a true Native American but just an actress playing the part of one... http://www.eudesign.com/oscars/osc-curi.htm Jul 21 06, 7:06 PM

debbie482

My mistake it was Marlon Brando who declined due to treatment of Native Americans Jul 22 06, 5:20 AM

jmpatison

You are right about Marlon Brando refusing because of the treatment and misrepresentation of Native Americans in Hollywood and in films. You are wrong, however, about George C. Scott's reason for declining. In 1961 he did say that he would never accept an Oscar. He even declined his second ever nomination, which was for Supporting Actor for his role in The Hustler in 1961, even though he had previously accepted a nomination in the same category in 1959 for his role in Anatomy of a Murder. (He would later accept Leading Actor nominations for Patton and The Hospital.) In his declination speech, Scott said that he was turning down the award because he felt that he was not in competition with the other actors, that the Oscars were too much of a competition, a "meat parade," as he put it, and not enough of just an appreciation of everyone's performances and talents. May 19 11, 11:38 AM