Spencer Tracy was a person.
Spencer Bonaventure Tracy ( April 5 , 1900 -- June 10 , 1967 ) was an American actor , noted for his natural style and versatility . One of the major stars of Hollywood 's Golden Age , Tracy was nominated for nine Academy Awards for Best Actor and won two , sharing the record for nominations in that category with Laurence Olivier . By the 1940s , Tracy was one of the studio 's top stars . In 1942 , he appeared with Katharine Hepburn in Woman of the Year , beginning a popular partnership that produced nine movies over 25 years . During his career , Tracy appeared in 75 films and developed a reputation among his peers as one of the screen 's greatest actors .