Harold Russell, a Canadian-American actor and World War II veteran, lost both of his hands in a military training accident. Not a professional actor, he was discovered by director William Wyler in an army documentary and cast to play the veteran Homer Parrish in the film *The Best Years of Our Lives* (1946). For this unique and moving performance, Russell accomplished an unprecedented feat in the history of the Academy Awards, winning two Oscars for the same role: a special honorary one for bringing "hope and courage" to his fellow veterans and the award for Best Supporting Actor, becoming the only person ever to achieve such a result. His subsequent film career was sporadic, with appearances in films such as *Inside Moves* (1980), as he dedicated much of his life to activism for the rights of war veterans and people with disabilities, becoming an influential spokesperson.