Born in Swampscott, Massachusetts. Trained in engineering, he chose acting as a career, appearing in vaudeville and stock and supporting himself as a lumberjack and bank clerk before enlisting for WW I service in 1917. After the war, he went to Guatemala and raised pineapples, then migrated to Hollywood where he speculated in real estate before breaking into films as an extra and stuntman in 1923. He went on to become one of the screen's most versatile and best-known supporting players in character parts of astonishing range in well over 100 films. He was the first actor ever to win three Academy Awards: for best supporting actor in COME AND GET IT (1936), KENTUCKY (1938), and THE WESTERNER (1940). He also starred in the TV series "The Real McCoys," "Tycoon," and "The Guns of Will Sonnett." He died in 1974 of emphysema, a beloved figure in movies and TV, the butt of countless comic impressionists, and one of the best and most prolific actors of his time.  Supporting Actor 1936: COME AND GET IT  Supporting Actor 1938: KENTUCKY  Supporting Actor 1940: THE WESTERNER  Nominated for Supporting Actor 1941: SERGEANT YORK 4 nominations, 3 Awards