While many actors have won two or even three Oscars, Katharine Hepburn stands alone with four Academy Awards for Best Actress in a Leading Role. Her wins spanned nearly 50 years, beginning with 'Morning Glory' (1933), followed by 'Guess Who's Coming to Dinner' (1967), 'The Lion in Winter' (1968), and finally 'On Golden Pond' (1981). Despite being the most decorated actor in history, Hepburn famously never attended the ceremonies to accept her awards, claiming that the prizes were 'not what mattered' to her. She only appeared on the Oscar stage once, in 1974, to present the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award to her friend Lawrence Weingarten. Her record of four lead acting wins remains the gold standard of the industry, as other legends like Meryl Streep and Jack Nicholson have three wins, but across different categories (Lead and Supporting).