This Year's Oscar Acting Nominees In Their First Roles And The Roles They Were Nominated For
This year's Academy Award nominees for Best Leading and Best Supporting performances make up a wide array of long and not-quite-as-long careers.
ABC / Via giphy.com
One thing they have in common is, like every actor, they all got their start somewhere. Take a look at this year's Oscar-nominated actors in their first onscreen roles:
Javier Bardem
Javier is up for Best Actor in a Leading Role for Being the Ricardos.
Here he is in his first role.
He played Alonso in an episode of the Spanish TV series El pícaro in 1974.
And here he is in Being the Ricardos.
Starring as Ricky Ricardo earned him his fourth Oscar nomination.
Jessie Buckley
Jessie is up for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for The Lost Daughter.
Here she is in her first role.
She played Emily in the British miniseries Rosamunde Pilcher's Shades of Love in 2010.
And here she is in The Lost Daughter.
Her performance as the younger version of Olivia Colman's character, Leda, earned Jessie her first Oscar nomination.
Jessica Chastain
Jessica is up for Best Actress in a Leading Role for The Eyes of Tammy Faye.
Here she is in her first role.
She played Dahlia Taslitz, a patient's daughter, in an episode of ER in 2004.
And here she is in The Eyes of Tammy Faye.
Starring as evangelist and TV personality Tammy Faye earned her her third Oscar nomination.
Olivia Colman
Olivia is up for Best Actress in a Leading Role for The Lost Daughter.
Here she is in her first role.
Olivia starred in the BBC Two sketch comedy show Bruiser in 2000.
And here she is in The Lost Daughter.
Starring as the troubled Leda earned her her third Oscar nomination.
Penélope Cruz
Penélope is up for Best Actress in a Leading Role for Parallel Mothers.
Here she is in her first role.
She played La Bella Durmiente in an episode of the Spanish TV series Los mundos de Yupi in 1990.
And here she is in Parallel Mothers.
Starring as mother and photographer Janis in the Spanish drama earned her her fourth Oscar nomination.
Benedict Cumberbatch
Benedict is up for Best Actor in a Leading Role for The Power of the Dog.
Here he is in his first role.
He played tabloid reporter Jeremy in the BBC miniseries Fields of Gold in 2002.
And here he is in The Power of the Dog.
Starring as rancher Phil Burbank earned him his second Oscar nomination.
Ariana DeBose
Ariana is up for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for West Side Story.
Here she is in one of her earliest roles.
Ariana has been acting onstage for over 10 years and made her onscreen debut as Sophie in a 2016 episode of Blue Bloods. (She also appeared as herself in a 2009 episode of So You Think You Can Dance.)
And here she is in West Side Story.
Her performance as Anita earned her her first Oscar nomination.
Judi Dench
Judi is up for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Belfast.
Here she is in one of her earliest roles.
She first starred as the title character in a 1959 BBC adaptation of Hilda Lessways, followed by a few more TV roles before appearing in an episode of The Four Just Men in 1960 (seen above).
And here she is in Belfast.
Her performance as Granny earned her her eighth Oscar nomination.
Kirsten Dunst
Kirsten is up for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for The Power of the Dog.
Here she is in one of her earliest roles.
Her very first onscreen appearance was as one of Lisa's daughters in New York Stories in 1988. That same year she popped up on Saturday Night Live as George Bush's granddaughter, and then again in 1990 in a fake commercial (seen above).
And here she is in The Power of the Dog.
Her performance as Rose Burbank earned her her first Oscar nomination.
Aunjanue Ellis
Aunjanue is up for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for King Richard.
Here she is in her first role.
She played Claudia in an episode of New York Undercover in 1995.
And here she is in King Richard.
Her performance as Oracene "Brandy" Price earned her her first Oscar nomination.
Andrew Garfield
Andrew is up for Best Actor in a Leading Role for Tick, Tick...Boom!
Here he is in his first role.
He played Simmo in a short film called Mumbo Jumbo in 2005.
Starring as Jonathan Larson in Tick, Tick...Boom! earned him his second Oscar nomination.
Ciarán Hinds
Ciarán is up for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Belfast.
Here he is in one of his earliest roles.
He first appeared in an episode of Out of the Past in 1977, as well as a TV movie called The Long March in 1980. in 1981 he appeared as the knight Lot in Excalibur.
And here he is in Belfast.
His performance as Pop in Belfast earned him his first Oscar nomination.
Nicole Kidman
Nicole is up for Best Actress in a Lead Role for Being the Ricardos.
Here she is in her first role.
She played Helen in the Australian movie Bush Christmas in 1983.
And here she is in Being the Ricardos.
Starring as Lucille Ball in the biopic earned her her fifth Oscar nomination.
Troy Kotsur
Troy is up for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for CODA.
Here he is in his first role.
He played Lars on an episode of the medical drama Strong Medicine in 2001.
And here he is in CODA.
His performance as Frank earned him his first Oscar nomination. He and his CODA costar Marlee Matlin are the only two deaf actors to receive nominations.
Jesse Plemons
Jesse is up for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for The Power of the Dog.
Here he is in one of his earliest roles.
He had a small role in a movie called Finding North in 1998, but unfortunately I couldn't find any images or footage of him in that. The following year he played Tommy Harbor in Varsity Blues (seen above).
And here he is in The Power of the Dog.
His performance as George Burbank earned him his first Oscar nomination.
J.K. Simmons
J.K. is up for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Being the Ricardos.
Here he is in his first role.
He played a police officer in the TV movie Popeye Doyle in 1986.
And here he is in Being the Ricardos.
His performance as William Frawley (the actor who played I Love Lucy character Fred Mertz) in Being the Ricardos earned him his second Oscar nomination.
Kodi Smit-McPhee
Kodi is up for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for The Power of the Dog.
Here he is in his first role.
He played Teddy in the 2006 indie movie Stranded.
And here he is in The Power of the Dog.
His performance as Peter Gordon in the cowboy drama earned him his first Oscar nomination.
Will Smith
Will is up for Best Actor in a Leading Role for King Richard.
Here he is in one of his earliest roles.
Not accounting for music videos and guest spots as himself (like in a 1990 episode of Blossom), Will's first role was technically in an episode of ABC Afterschool Specials in 1991, where he played a character named Hawker.
That episode appears to be lost to the sands of time, though, so I included his second role, as Manny in the 1992 movie Where the Day Takes You.
And here he is in King Richard.
Starring as the titular Richard Williams earned him his third Oscar nomination. (He also received one as a producer on the film, which was nominated for Best Picture.)
Kristen Stewart
Kristen is up for Best Actress in a Leading Role for Spencer.
Here she is in her first role.
Her character didn't have any lines (or a name), but the 1999 Disney Channel original movie The Thirteenth Year was her screen debut.
And here she is in Spencer.
Starring as Princess Diana in the biopic earned her her first Oscar nomination.
Denzel Washington
Denzel is up for Best Actor in a Leading Role forThe Tragedy of Macbeth.
Here he is in his first role.
He played Robert in Wilma, the 1977 TV movie about Olympic gold medalist Wilma Rudolph.
And here he is in The Tragedy of Macbeth.
Starring as Macbeth earned him his 10th Oscar nomination.
