First back-to-back Oscar winner Luise Rainer died

Hollywood actress, Luise Rainer died on 30 December 2014 at her home at London. She died due to pneumonia at the age of 104.

Rainer, a star of cinema’s golden era was the first actor to win consecutive Oscars. She won the Oscars for The Great Ziegfeld (1936) and The Good Earth (1937).

Before entering Hollywood, Rainer born on 12 January 1910 appeared as an actress in a number of German and Austrian films.

Later, she was discovered by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) in the mid-30s and her first Hollywood role was in 1935’s Escapade with William Powell.

Other than Rainer, the feat of two consecutive Oscars has been achieved by only four actors in Academy Awards history to date. Four other actors to win consecutive Oscars are Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, Jason Robards and Tom Hanks.

Katharine Hepburn is the only actress after Rainer to win two consecutive Oscars. Hepburn won the Oscars for Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967) and The Lion in Winter (1968).