A Canadian-born, Boston-raised paratroop sergeant in World War II,
Harold Russell lost both hands in a demolition accident and later
appeared in the Army Signal Corps documentary, "Diary Of A Sergeant", in which he acted out
the various phases of the rehabilitation process of an amputee.
Director William Wyler saw the film while
preparing "The Best Years of Our Lives" (1946) and cast Russell as
the film's disabled returning veteran. For his performance in "The
Best Years of Our Lives" ... Russell won both the Academy Award as
the year's Best Supporting Actor and a second, honorary Oscar "for
bringing hope and courage to his fellow veterans." He is the only
actor ever to win two Oscars for the same role.
Diary Of A Sergeant
