Oscars are often won towards the end of illustrious careers, but for a select few, they have come at the very start. The youngest actor in contention for a prize in 2021 is 24-year-old Borat Subsequent Moviefilm star Maria Bakalova, and while her achievement is a remarkable one, she is far from the youngest person to be nominated for or win an Academy Award. Ahead of this year’s ceremony on 25 April, and at risk of making us all feel like epic underachievers, we look back at 11 accomplished performers who secured nods — wait for it — before the age of 12.
Justin Henry for ‘Kramer vs Kramer’, aged 8
At the Oscars in 1980, Henry became the youngest nominee in any category after receiving a nod for Best Supporting Actor for his role as a cherubic child torn between his divorcing parents (Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep) in Robert Benton’s weepie. As big-screen debuts go, it’s hard to beat.
Jackie Cooper for ‘Skippy’, aged 9
Still the youngest recipient of a Best Actor Oscar nomination, Cooper won hearts with his titular performance in Norman Taurog’s 1931 comedy about a scrappy kid who runs wild with his friends. When one of them, the timid Sooky (Robert Coogan), has his dog stolen, Skippy must save the day.
Quvenzhané Wallis for ‘Beasts of the Southern Wild’, aged 9
It’s Wallis’s captivating central turn as a defiant six-year-old living on a Louisiana bayou that imbues Benh Zeitlin’s tender fable with magic and earned the young performer a Best Actress nomination at the 2013 Oscars. As a storm approaches, she and her ailing father (Dwight Henry) try to survive.
Tatum O’Neal for ‘Paper Moon’, aged 10
In Peter Bogdanovich’s bittersweet road movie, a conman (Ryan O’Neal) and an outspoken orphan (Ryan’s real-life daughter Tatum) become partners in crime. The latter deservedly took home the prize for Best Supporting Actress in 1974 and remains the youngest winner of a competitive Oscar.
Mary Badham for ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’, aged 10
As Scout, the daughter of crusading lawyer Atticus Finch (Gregory Peck), in Robert Mulligan’s adaptation of Harper Lee’s classic novel, Badham landed a Best Supporting Actress nomination in 1963. She holds her own alongside acting veterans, bringing warmth and vulnerability to the part.
Quinn Cummings for ‘The Goodbye Girl’, aged 10
Quippy and charming, Cummings plays the street-smart child of a dancer (Marsha Mason) who falls for an actor (Richard Dreyfuss) who recently moved into their shared apartment in Herbert Ross’s slow-burning romance. Her reward, in 1978, was a nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
Abigail Breslin for ‘Little Miss Sunshine’, aged 10
The beating heart of Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton’s sublime tragicomedy is Breslin as Olive, a seven-year-old who dreams of winning a beauty pageant. She outshone her co-stars Toni Collette, Paul Dano, Steve Carell and Greg Kinnear, and scored a nod for Best Supporting Actress in 2007.
Haley Joel Osment for ‘The Sixth Sense’, aged 11
As the wide-eyed, terrified young boy who sees dead people in M Night Shyamalan’s hair-raising thriller, Osment went toe to toe with Bruce Willis and left with a nomination for Best Supporting Actor in 2000. His whispered monologues and glassy stares keep you on the edge of your seat.
Brandon De Wilde for ‘Shane’, aged 11
Best remembered for its touching final scene in which De Wilde begs a departing gunfighter (Alan Ladd) to stay with him, George Stevens’ sweeping western has hidden depths. The earnestness of De Wilde’s performance won over critics and got him a Best Supporting Actor nomination in 1954.
Patty McCormack for ‘The Bad Seed’, aged 11
Behind her angelic facade, McCormack’s character, Rhoda, is a devious killer in this psychological horror directed by Mervyn LeRoy. She was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in 1957 and praised for her depiction of a girl who drowns classmates by day and manipulates adults by night.
Anna Paquin for ‘The Piano’, aged 11
Jane Campion’s lyrical period piece was a vehicle for two Oscar-winning turns in 1994: Best Actress for Holly Hunter as a passionate pianist and Best Supporting Actress for Paquin as her mischievous, strong-willed daughter. The latter’s astonished acceptance speech is one of the sweetest in history.
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