Is Quvenzhane Wallis the youngest person ever nominated for a Best Actress Oscar?

Answer 1

Yes. Quvenzhané Wallis, the preteen star of the 2012 drama "Beasts of the Southern Wild," is the youngest person to be nominated for a Best Actress Academy Award.

At 9 years and 135 days old when nominated on January 10, 2013, she became the third-youngest overall nominee in history after Justin Henry (a Best Supporting Actor honoree at 8 years and 276 days old in 1980) and Jackie Cooper (who received a Best Actor nod when he was 9 years and 20 days old in 1931).

The previous record holder for youngest Best Actress nominee was New Zealand's Keisha Castle-Hughes for her performance in the 2003 drama "Whale Rider." She was 13 years and 309 days old when she was nominated in 2004.

Interestingly, Wallis is in the Best Actress category opposite veteran French actress Emannuelle Riva, whose performance in "Amour" was nominated when she was 85 years and 321 days old. Riva is the oldest Best Actress nominee in history and could become the oldest-ever Oscar winner for acting.