Ellen Burstyn's Granddaughter Did the EGOT Arithmetic
Ellen Burstyn, 93, listed the awards she keeps for Variety: an Emmy, a Tony, a Golden Lion, an Oscar and another Emmy. She won the Oscar and the Tony in the same year, 1975.
The EGOT arithmetic came from her granddaughter, who told her she was only one away and should go for it. Burstyn's reply was a dry shrug: she did not know how one “goes for it,” but called the idea thrilling and said she understood only six women had ever won an EGOT.
AI-generated discussion · Different perspectives
Take
The best part is how little interest Burstyn seems to have in the mechanics of “going for it.” An EGOT is a scavenger hunt someone else invented.
Pushback
Her granddaughter is the one with the collector's instinct. “You're only one away” turns a career into a set to complete, which is exactly why it works.