Who’s the youngest person to win an Academy Award? Here’s everything you should know.
Danny Moloshok, Invision via Associated Press
Oscar season is officially upon us, with the 95th Academy Awards airing this Sunday.
While the Oscars have been full of scandals and surprises — who can forget last year’s slap heard around the world — sometimes the biggest surprises from the Oscars come from the nominees themselves.
Oscar nominees are typically older and experienced actors, but there have been a few rare occasions where nominees, and even winners, are very, very young. So before this year’s Academy Awards, let’s delve into Oscars history — and the youngest person to win an Academy Award.
Who is the youngest person to win an Oscar?
In 1974 Tatum O’Neal won an Oscar for best supporting actress for her role as Addie Loggins in the film “Paper Moon,” per People. She was only 10.
O’Neal shared a clip of her Oscar win in 2021 with the caption, “Probably my biggest #throwbackthursday,” she said. “Still the youngest ever to win.🏆”
O’Neal was up against Linda Blair in “The Exorcist,” Candy Clark in “American Graffiti,” Madeline Kahn in “Paper Moon” and Sylvia Sidney in “Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams,” according to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
How old is Tatum O’Neal?
O’Neal is 59, according to Britannica.
What is Tatum O’Neal doing now?
While O’Neal is probably best known for her work in “Paper Moon,” she’s been in some recent work. According to her IMDb page, O’Neal has been working as an actress up until 2021. Her latest role was as a doctor in the film “Not to Forget” in 2021.
Sadly, O’Neal’s life has had its fair share of tragedy. O’Neal was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, telling People that it had “changed her life.”
“That means that my hands stopped working,” O’Neal told “CBS Sunday Morning” in 2020. “It means that — I can’t really tie my shoes. It means that I can’t — I mean, I can’t tie my shoes. I have to re-learn to write. And definitely need surgery on my left knee and my neck in the next week.”
O’Neal also revealed that she suffered emotional, physical and sexual abuse as a child. She told her story to NBC in 2004, claiming that her mother was an alcoholic and that she was molested at age 6.
“When parents are off getting drunk or getting high or taking pills in another room, and leaving little children with, you know, people who don’t watch their kids, this is what happens,” O’Neal said.
O’Neal published two books outlining her life: “A Paper Life” and “Found: A Daughter’s Journey Home.”
The youngest Oscar winners
1. Anna Paquin for best supporting actress in 1994
Paquin was 11 when she won best supporting actress for her role as Flora McGrath in “The Piano.” According to Brittanica, Paquin had almost no acting experience when she responded to the open casting call.
2. Patty Duke for best actress in a supporting role in in 1963
Duke won an Oscar at 16 for her role as Helen Keller in 1962’s “The Miracle Worker.” Previous to starring in the film, Duke originated the role of Keller in the Broadway production of “The Miracle Worker,” per Britannica.
3. Marlee Matlin for best actress in a leading role in 1987
Matlin was 21 when she won an Oscar for her role in “Children of a Lesser God,” becoming the first and only deaf actress to win in the category, according to the academy.
4. Adrien Brody for best actor in a leading role in 2003
Adrien Brody won an Oscar for “The Pianist” when he was only 29 — the youngest actor to win the award so far. When he accepted the award, Brody famously kissed presenter Halle Berry.
5. Timothy Hutton for best actor in a supporting role in 1981
Hutton was 20 when he won an Oscar for his role in “Ordinary People,” which was his first feature film, according to Britannica.
The youngest Oscar nominees
Here are the youngest Oscar nominees thus far, according to Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences:
- Justin Henry, age 8, for “Kramer vs. Kramer” in 1979: Best supporting actor.
- Jackie Cooper, age 9, for “Skippy” in 1931: Best actor.
- Quvenzhané Wallis, age 9, for “Beasts of the Southern Wild” in 2012: Best actress.
- Mary Badham, age 10, for “To Kill a Mockingbird” in 1962: Best aupporting actress.
- Quinn Cummings, age 10, for “The Goodbye Girl” in 1977: Best supporting actress.
- Abigail Breslin, age 10, for “Little Miss Sunshine” in 2006: Best supporting actress.
- Patty McCormack, age 11, “The Bad Seed” in 1956: Best supporting actress.
- Haley Joel Osment, age 11, “The Sixth Sense” in 1999: Best supporting actor.