The youngest actors and actresses who received an Oscar (20 photos)
At the recent Oscar ceremony, the statuette for "Best Actress" was received by the young actress 25-year-old Mikey Madison. She managed to beat her main competitor - 62-year-old Demi Moore, who everyone predicted would win. A wonderful achievement for a young actress! And we suggest remembering who else was lucky enough to receive an Oscar at the very beginning of their career. So, here are the TOP-20 young lucky ones. We go in descending order of age.
20. Liza Minnelli - 26 years, 15 days 
Category: Best Actress
Movie: Cabaret (1972)
Here and below, age is recorded on the day of the Oscars. Specifying the exact number of days will be necessary, since there will be many participants with the same number of full years.
19. Julie Christie - 26 years, 4 days 
Category: Best Actress
Movie: Darling (1965)
18. Mikey Madison - 25 years, 342 days 
Category: Best Actress role
Movie: Anora (2024)
Only 18th! Mikey turned out to be the oldest of those who won an Oscar at 25. In general, as you will see below, exactly half of the participants in this list were 24-25 years old at the time of their triumph.
17. Hilary Swank - 25 years, 240 days 
Category: Best Actress
Movie: Boys Don't Cry (1999)
16. Grace Kelly - 25 years, 138 days 
Category: Best Actress
Movie: The Country Girl (1954)
15. Jennifer Hudson - 25 years, 166 days 
Category: Best Supporting Actress
Movie: Dreamgirls (2006)
14. Jennifer Jones - 25 years, 0 days (won an Oscar on her birthday!) 
Category: Best Actress
Movie: The Song of Bernadette (1943)
13. Audrey Hepburn - 24 years, 325 days 
Category: Best Actress
Movie: Roman Holiday (1953)
12. Angelina Jolie - 24 years, 296 days 
Category: Best Supporting Actress
Movie: Girl, Interrupted (1999)
Jolie and Hilary Swank, who was taller, received their awards at the same ceremony.
11. Goldie Hawn - 24 years, 137 days 
Category: Best Supporting Actress
Film: Cactus Flower (1969)
The actress was unable to attend the ceremony, so she did not take a photo with the statuette.
10. Teresa Wright - 24 years, 128 days 
Category: Best Supporting Actress
Film: "Mrs. Miniver" (1942)
At the same ceremony, the actress was also nominated as Best Actress for her role in the film "Pride of the Yankees".
9. Joan Fontaine — 24 years, 127 days (was only 1 day younger than Wright!) 
Category: Best Actress
Movie: Suspicion (1941)
8. Anne Baxter — 23 years, 310 days 
Category: Best Supporting Actress
Movie: The Razor's Edge (1946)
7. Janet Gaynor — 22 years, 222 days (!) 
Category: Best Actress
Movies: 7th Heaven/ Sunrise/ Street Angel (all 1928)
You may ask, why are three films listed here? Did she win three Oscars for these three films in one year?
No! She won one Oscar, which was awarded to her for these three films together. This is the only time in the history of the awards that such a strange decision was made.
In defense of the Academy, it should be noted that this was the very first Oscar ceremony and the award was just forming its rules.
6. Jennifer Lawrence — 22 years, 193 days 
Category: Best Actress
Movie: Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
Lawrence is the youngest Oscar winner in the 21st century. However, only among actresses, since Marketa Irglova and Billie Eilish received their Oscars for Best Song at 19 and 20 years old. But that's a separate story, don't tell anyone!
5. Marlee Matlin - 21 years old, 218 years old 
Category: Best Actress
Film: Children of Silence (1986)
She has held the record for 37 years as the youngest actress to win an Oscar for a leading role. From now on, there will only be supporting winners.
She is also the only deaf actress to win the award. Marley also starred in the recent film CODA: Child of Deaf Parents, which won Best Picture at the 2022 ceremony.
4. Timothy Hutton - 20 years, 227 days 
The only man in the entire top twenty!
Category: Best Supporting Actor
Film: Ordinary People (1980)
Next, the youngest trio, consisting entirely of minors.
3. Patty Duke - 16 years, 115 days 
Category: Best Supporting Actress
Movie: The Miracle Worker (1962)
2. Anna Paquin - 11 years, 240 days! 
Category: Best Supporting Actress
Movie: The Piano (1993)
1. Tatum O'Neal - 10 years, 148 days!!! 
Category: Best Supporting Actress
Movie: Paper Moon (1973)
