So far, I can think of Jack Nicholson, Marlon Brando and Meryl Streep.
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Dustin Hoffman won Best Actor for Kramer vs Kramer and Rain Man. Both those movies won Best Picture. He was also Nominated for Midnight Cowboy and that won Best Picture too.
Ugh, Kramer vs Kramer makes me sick knowing that he got praised for slapping Meryl Streep and taunting her with the memory of her recently deceased husband "for her character"
Mahershala Ali has won Oscars for his roles in Moonlight and Green Book, both of which won Best Picture
Edit: I just noticed OP asked for leading performances. Both of Ali's wins were in supporting categories.
Marlon Brando won Best Actor for On the Waterfront and The Godfather, both of which won Best Picture.
If we're counting not winning your Lead for the Best Picture, Meryl has two leading Oscars and was in The Deer Hunter, Kramer v Kramer, and Out of Africa; Jack Nicholson also has two leads and was in One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, Terms of Endearment, and The Departed
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The question was actors eith multiple lead wins that also starred in multiple BP winners, not that they won or were nominated for them
Jack Nicholson two lead wins and three best pictures
I’m commenting on here so I can follow up later!
There are only so many people who’ve won 2+ leads, so there aren’t a lot of options. Brando, Nicholson, Hoffman, and Streep are it.
Somehow Hanks, Hopkins, Bette Davis, McDormand haven’t been in more than 1.
What about the ones with the most lead actor wins: Katherine Hepburn (4) and Daniel Day Lewis (3)? Have either even been in one best picture winner?
I know that with DDL, none of his Best Actor wins were for a Best Picture winner.
My Left Foot was nominated but lost to Driving Miss Daisy, There Will Be Blood was nominated but lost to No Country For Old Men and Lincoln was nominated but lost to Argo.
No, neither have been in a Best Picture winner
EDIT: DDL had a small role in Ghandi.
Daniel Day-Lewis had a small role in Gandhi which won Best Picture
Oh wow totally missed that. Thanks!!
Fredrick March maybe.
Gene Hackman has won Oscars for his roles in The French Connection and Unforgiven, both of which won Best Picture as well.
Edit: i just noticed OP asked for leading wins, while one of Hackman's wins (Unforgiven) was in the supporting category.
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OP says only Best Actor or Best Actress winners, but if you do count winners for the Supporting categories, then as stated in this thread, Mahershala Ali won Best Supporting Actor for two Best Picture winners, Moonlight and Green Book.