Marsha Mason as Oscar contender

‘Cinderella Liberty’

Marsha Mason earned her first best actress Oscar nomination for 1973’s “Cinderella Liberty,” playing a boozy prostitute with a heart of gold and a mixed-race son; her character is romanced by a shy, kind sailor (James Caan).

‘The Goodbye Girl’

Four years later, she received her second nomination for the “The Goodbye Girl,” written by her then-husband Neil Simon, playing a struggling actress with a daughter. Richard Dreyfuss won best actor for the film as the thespian sharing her apartment.

‘Only When I Laugh’

Besides “The Goodbye Girl,” Mason received two other best actress nominations on Simon projects — 1979’s “Chapter Two” and 1981’s “Only When I Laugh,” in which she played an alcoholic actress trying to stay sober to help her teenage daughter.