A celebrated veteran of over 100 films, dating from the late 1920s, Walter Brennan flourished as the preeminent character actor of his day (and perhaps of all time) portraying an assortment of wizened old codgers, particularly in Westerns. He was the first performer to accumulate three Academy Awards--for "Come and Get It" (1936), "Kentucky" (1938) and "The Westerner" (1940)--and the only one to ever win three Best Supporting Actor Oscars. He earned an additional Best Supporting Actor nomination for "Sergeant York" (1941), the only time nominated that he failed to bring home the prize.A
After college, briefly worked as a newspaper reporter in Boston
Held various jobs from ditch digger to bank clerk
1914
Enlisted in Army during WWI; promoted to colonel; served in France with the 26th Division; fell victim to poison gas attack which permanently affected his vocal chords; mustered out in 1919
