Poll: The Oscars: First-Timers’ Club

Results of 403 votes:

1. 1.
   

   Anna Paquin in The Piano (1993)

    

   Flora McGrath. Paquin's only acting experience was as a skunk in a school play. But when the 9-year-old tried out with her sister for the role of Flora, she impressed director Jane Campion and beat ou…
2. 2.
   

   Barkhad Abdi in Captain Phillips (2013)

    

   Muse. Abdi was working as a limo driver in Minneapolis before he auditioned out of the blue for this role. Was chosen out of 700 applicants to co-star opposite Tom Hanks. Lost out to Jared Leto for an…
3. 3.
   

   Gabourey Sidibe in Precious (2009)

    

   Precious. Discovered at an open audition in New York. She had no prior acting experience and was previously a receptionist at the not-for-profit, Fresh Air Fund.
4. 4.
   

   Tatum O'Neal in Paper Moon (1973)

    

   Addie Loggins. Tatum O’Neal was only 9 years old and had never acted when she co-starred opposite her father, Ryan. Guess the acting gene runs in the family. Tatum would win the Oscar for her performa…
5. 5.
   

   Oprah Winfrey in The Color Purple (1985)

    

   Sofie. Winfrey was already a local news anchor in Nashville and Baltimore, as well as the host of a morning talk show in Chicago without any acting experience when she was cast in Steven Spielberg’s a…
6. 6.
   

   Haing S. Ngor in The Killing Fields (1984)

    

   Dith Pran. Ngor who had never acted before, relied on his experiences fighting for his life in Cambodia during the Vietnam War. Ngor did win an Oscar, making him the second nonprofessional actor to do…
7. 7.
   

   Jennifer Hudson in Dreamgirls (2006)

    

   Effie White. A third season of American Idol casualty, when there were 7 contestants remaining. She however got the Grand Prize so to say when she beat out eventual winner Fantasia Barrino for a role …
8. 8.
   

   Harold Russell in The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)

    

   Homer Parrish. Russell is the only actor to win 2 Oscars for the same performance. He was wounded from his participation on D-Day in June 44' and was cast after being noticed by William Wyler. Now the…
9. 9.
   

   Yalitza Aparicio in Roma (2018)

    

   Cleo. Studying to be a preschool teacher when her sister pushed her to audition for Roma. Several months later she got a call for a meet with director Alfonso Cuarón. Aparicio had no clue who this Alf…
10. 10.
    

    Keisha Castle-Hughes in Whale Rider (2002)

     

    Paikea. Only 11 years old when she won the role without any prior experience as an actress.
11. 11.
    

    Mikhail Baryshnikov and Leslie Browne in The Turning Point (1977)

     

    Mikhail Baryshnikov as Yuri. The American Ballet Theatre was already Mikhail's claim to fame. But it would be his dramatic acting career that brought him a greater global recognition. This was his deb…
12. 12.
    

    Quvenzhané Wallis in Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012)

     

    Hushpuppy. Wallis who was 5 years old when cast, was 9 years old when nominated, lost out to Jennifer Lawrence in the 'Silver Linings Playbook' for an Oscar.
13. 13.
    

    Catalina Sandino Moreno in Maria Full of Grace (2004)

     

    María Álvarez. Was studying advertising in college and taking acting lessons on the side when this opportunity arose. It was her mother that convinced her to go try out for the part of Maria after bei…
14. 14.
    

    Diana Ross in Lady Sings the Blues (1972)

     

    Billie Holiday. Diana Ross of the Supremes, made her acting debut as Billie Holiday. She had no formal training in acting but managed to garner an Oscar nomination. She would however lose out to fello…
15. 15.
    

    Catherine Dale Owen and Lawrence Tibbett in The Rogue Song (1930)

     

    Lawrence Tibbett as Yegor. Sadly no known copy of this film exists. But it was MGM’s first talkie Technicolor film. Probably best known at the time for featuring eight Laurel and Hardy sequences. Tibb…