When James Earl Jones died on Monday, some headlines called the prolific actor — known for his deepwinzir, mellifluous voice — an EGOT winner. But whether he’s really in the elite club isn’t so clear.
Jones performed in scores of plays, some 120 movies and on nearly 90 television shows. And he was rewarded with Emmys, Tonys, a Grammy, an Obie (for Off Broadway productions), a National Medal of Arts, Kennedy Center honors and an honorary Academy Award.
ImageJames Earl Jones with the Tony Award he won in 1969 for Best Dramatic Actor in “The Great White Hope,” with Lauren Bacall, who presented it to him.Credit...Bettmann Archive, via Getty ImagesBut the honorary Oscar might not be enough for the exclusive EGOT club — the playful acronym for winning an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony. There has long been a debate over whether honorary or noncompetitive awards count toward EGOT status.
Back in 2011, Jones won the honorary Oscar, a lifetime achievement award that comes with the famous Oscar trophy and has been given to the likes of Mel Brooks, Sophia Loren, Spike Lee and other Hollywood luminaries.
Not enough, The Los Angeles Times proclaimed.
“While Jones already has an Emmy, a Grammy and a Tony, to complete the EGOT cycle, winners have to actually win each award, and honorary awards do not count,” according to the newspaper.
ImageJames Earl Jones holds up the two Emmy Awards he won in 1991.Credit...ReutersAccording to Billboard, “most EGOT experts don’t count noncompetitive awards” because “the whole point is to have won the awards in competition.”
The New York Times has noted in its reporting on EGOT recipients that “there are hazy areas of eligibility, such as lifetime achievement awards.”
Only 21 people have won a competitive EGOT. The list includes Rita Moreno, Audrey Hepburn, Mel Brooks, Whoopi Goldberg, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Viola Davis and Elton John.
Even if an honorary win doesn’t quite countwinzir, Jones still finds himself in good company. Other honorary EGOT winners include Barbra Streisand, Harry Belafonte, Quincy Jones and Liza Minnelli.