55 Years Ago Today, a Legendary '70s Actor Declined an Oscar Award
While many actors dream of winning an Oscar even once in their lives, George C. Scott stunned the public with a decision that would go down as one of the boldest moments in award-winning history.
Over his decades-long career, the renowned Hollywood star earned countless nominations and won multiple awards.
Fifty-five years ago today, one of his most notable moments came at the 43rd Academy Awards, where he was announced as the winner of Best Actor for his role in Patton.
At the time Patton was among the biggest winners of the night after taking home seven Oscar wins out of 10 nominations.
The major awards that it received were Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Art Direction, Best Film Editing, Best Sound and Best Actor for George C. Scott.
He surpassed an equally talented lineup of nominees, including Melvyn Douglas in I Never Sang for My Father, James Earl Jones in The Great White Hope, Jack Nicholson in Five Easy Pieces and Ryan O'Neal for his performance in Love Story as Oliver Barrett IV.
On April 15, 1971, Goldie Hawn, who presented the award, handed the trophy to producer Frank McCarthy, who accepted it on behalf of Scott.
"In voting for this award, I think that the Academy has distinguished itself. I think it has done itself a great deal of good and shown what a good organization it is by recognizing and honoring so generously a fine performance by a great actor," he said in his acceptance speech.
Prior to the awards night, Scott had reportedly stated that he would refuse the Best Actor recognition if he won the Oscars and would not attend the ceremony to accept it.
This bold move made him the first actor in history to reject an Oscar award.
According to several outlets, including Los Angeles Times, the acclaimed actor famously described the Academy Award as "a two-hour meat parade, a public display with contrived suspense for economic reasons."
Scott had reportedly sent a telegram informing the Academy about his decision.
"I respectfully request that you withdraw my name from the list of nominees. My request is in no way intended to denigrate my colleagues," the telegram reads.
Interestingly, this was not the first time that the Patton star had declined a major recognition.
In 1962, he rejected a Best Supporting Actor nomination at the 34th Academy Awards for his role in The Hustler, arguing that acting should not be reduced to a competition, according to The New York Times.
Related: '80s Thriller Starring Two-Time Oscar Winner Ranked Among 'Worst Movies of All Time'
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This story was originally published April 16, 2026 at 11:30 AM.