# Best Actor vs. Best Supporting Actor

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-actor-vs-best-supporting-actor/748424>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [March 9, 2016, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-actor-vs-best-supporting-actor/748424 "2016-03-09T17:12:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\
**Post date:** [September 1, 2016, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-actor-vs-best-supporting-actor/748424/21 "2016-09-01T02:37:08Z")

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William H. Macy was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in “Fargo,” despite having more time on-screen than Best Actress winner Frances McDormand

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**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\
**Post date:** [September 2, 2016, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-actor-vs-best-supporting-actor/748424/22 "2016-09-02T19:28:58Z")

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Going waaaaay back, Barry Fitzgerald was nominated for BOTH awards for his performance in _ **Going My Way.** _ He WON in the Best Supporting Actor category, while co-star Bing Crosby won Best Actor.

After that, rules were changed to make sure actors could only be nominated in one category.

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