The first ever ceremony for the now famous award show was held on May 26, 1929 in the Blossom Room of the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood and was only attended by around 250 people. It wasn’t until two years later that the Academy was created. As the years went on, the Oscars ceremony would gain more and more traction, eventually becoming the ultimate Hollywood event, now recognized as the most prestigious award show recognizing the film industry.
Oscars are often seen as a landmark career achievement for actors, something that they work tirelessly towards throughout their careers, usually only seeing nominations in the later stages of their career. Actors with huge profiles such a Leonardo DiCaprio have famously been snubbed by the Oscars until much later in their career, however for some, the ultimate achievement in the film world becomes reality much earlier in life. For some actors, performances from their childhood years catch the attention of the academy, kickstarting a career in the film industry with their blessing in the form of either a win or a nomination. Let’s discuss actors who were nominated for an Oscar at a young age.
9 Justin Henry
It wouldn’t be appropriate to discuss actors who received Oscar nominations at a young age without discussing Justin Henry. Henry had an incredible start to his acting career when he was cast in Kramer vs. Kramer as Billy, the on-screen son of Meryl Streep and Dustin Hoffman at the age of 7 with no prior acting experience. Henry delivered an incredibly moving performance and would become the youngest person ever to be nominated for an Oscar when he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at only 8 years old. Henry has held this record since the time of his nomination, so it’s only appropriate to kick off the list with his name. Henry would go on to act in movies such as Sixteen Candles and would continue acting later in life with small appearances in TV dramas such as ER, Lost and Brothers & Sisters.
8 Jackie Cooper
Jackie Cooper is also a pivotal figure when discussing young actors and Oscar nominations. Cooper was nominated for his role in Skippy as the central character in 1931, making him the youngest actor to ever receive a nomination in the best actor category, and the first child star to ever be nominated for an Oscar. Cooper would continue his successful career in Hollywood, moving into producing and directing and achieving later recognition for portraying Perry White in the Superman franchise.
7 Quvenzhané Wallis
Another monumental moment in Oscar history came with the nomination of Quvenzhané Wallis for her role in 2012’s Beasts of the Southern Wild. Wallis played Hushpuppy and became the youngest to ever be nominated in the Best Actress category and the only actor born in the 21st century to be nominated for an award so far. Wallis would go on to star as Annie in 2014’s Annie, and later transition into a successful career as an author.
6 Tatum O’Neal
Tantum O’Neal was another actor who made history through the Oscar ceremony at a very young age when at age 10 she won the academy award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Addie Loggins in Paper Moon. O’Neal still holds the record as the youngest person to win an academy award and continued acting since appearing in Sex and the City, 8 Simple Rules as well as a leading role in Wicked, Wicked Games.
5 Haley Joel Osment
Osment gained popularity through his portrayal of Cole in the 1999 film The Sixth Sense. The film was extremely popular and resulted in his nomination for Best Supporting Actor at the age of 11. Osment has enjoyed a continued career in film and TV, starring in films such as Mad Men and I’ll Follow you Down alongside Gillian Anderson.
4 Hailee Steinfeld
A more modern example of an actor to be nominated for an academy award at an early age was Steinfeld, who was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the age of 14 for her work in True Grit. Steinfeld has continued to enjoy an incredibly successful career in music film as well as music, and recently joined the MCU universe as Kate Bishop in Hawkeye, showing her career has no signs of slowing down.
3 Abigail Breslin
Abigail Breslin first captured the publics hears in Little Miss Sunshine. She played Olive, and was nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar at only 10 years old. This was a major introduction into the film industry, and Breslin discussed the difficulties she experienced leaving this role behind, taking on more mature roles in movies such as Zombieland and Stillwater later in her career.
2 Jodie Foster
Jodie Foster boasts a career in Hollywood like no other and one which needs no introduction, and she also received praise from the Academy in the form of a nomination at a very early age. At just 14 years old, Foster was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in Taxi Driver. Foster would go on to have an extremely successful career in the industry, later achieving the rare feat of winning the best actress award twice, once for The Accused and again for Silence of the Lambs. Foster’s career has continued to be legendary, and she has recently been honoured with a lifetime achievement award, illustrating her continued force in the industry.
1 Saoirse Ronan
Saoirse Ronan is known as one of the most successful actresses in Hollywood today, and her career beginnings were equally as fruitful, when she was nominated for best supporting actress for her work in Atonement alongside Keira Knightly, where she received an Oscar nomination at just 13 years old. Ronan’s career only progressed from this point, as she went on to star in some of the most critically acclaimed films of recent memory such as Lady Bird, which held the title of the highest rated movie on Rotten Tomatoes for a while, as well as Little Women which was also incredibly successful.