In honour of the 85th Academy Awards tonight and of Quevenzhane Wallis becoming the youngest person to ever be nominated for an Oscar, we decided to look back and remember our favourite child actors with Acemedy Award nominations. Some rightfully won the golden statue, while others lost to their peers, but all of them showed an incredible talent.
6. Keisha Castle-Huges: Nominated for a Best Actress Oscar when she was only thirteen for her role as Pai in WHALE RIDER, Castle-Hughes took Hollywood by storm. Hvaing had abolsutely no prior acting experience and managing to give an incredibly poignant and awe-inspiring performance in what was the year’s most talked about movie.
5. Anna Paquin: Though now well known for her role on TRUE BLOOD, Paquin gained notice as a child actor in various movies. Her big break and most prominent role came in THE PIANO where she played the daughter of a mute pianist. Her supporting role in this movie at age 11 earned her not only an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress, but a win as well, making her the second youngest winner in the history of the awards.
4. Abigail Breslin: When making her big screen debut in SIGNS, Breslin was only five years old. Since then she’s been steadily building an impressive resume that includes everything from dramas like MY SISTER’S KEEPER, to comedies like ZOMBIELAND. It was the indie hit LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE that earned Breslin her first Oscar nomination and though she didn’t win that year, we’ve no doubt that we’ll be seeing her at the Oscars again very soon.
3. Haley Joel Osment: Playing the eerie and troubled child who is cursed with the ability to interact with the dead in THE SIXTH SENSE, Osment stunned audiences everywhere with his childish look and extremely mature acting skills.
2. Mary Badham: Though her name isn’t familiar to many, her role as Scout Finch in the film adaptation of Harper Lee’s class TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD is unforgettable. For this, Badham was nominated for the Best Supporting Actress, though she lost to Patty Duke. Badham only appeared in a handful of films before retiring from the profession, but she can never be forgotten as the curious and mischievous Scout Finch.
1. Tatum O’Neal: Nominated for Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role as Addie Pray in PAPER MOON, O’Neal is the youngest person in the history of the awards to win the golden statue. PAPER MOON was her film debut alongside her father Ryan O’Neal and though she continued acting afterwards, she continues to be most recognised for her memorable role as saucy Depression-era orphan, Addie.