Best Actor Nominees
Emil Jannings won the very first Best Actor award in 1929. Last year's honors went to Matthew McConaughey as Ron Woodroof in Dallas Buyers Club. Daniel Day-Lewis leads the pack of winners with three Best Actor Oscars, while Laurence Olivier and Spencer Tracy share the honor of most nominations with nine apiece.
- Benedict Cumberbatch: as Alan Turing in The Imitation Game
- Bradley Cooper: as Chris Kyle in American Sniper
- Eddie Redmayne: as Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything
- Michael Keaton: as Riggan in Birdman
- Steve Carell: as John du Pont in Foxcatcher
Best Actress Nominees
In 1929, Janet Gaynor was awarded the first Best Actress Oscar. The 2013 winner was Cate Blanchett for her performance in Blue Jasmine. With four Best Actress wins, Katharine Hepburn has yet to be beat. Meryl Streep, with two wins, has been nominated for the honor 15 times!
- Felicity Jones: as Jane Hawking in The Theory of Everything
- Julianne Moore: as Alice Howland in Still Alice
- Marion Cotillard: as Sandra in Two Days, One Night
- Reese Witherspoon: as Cheryl in Wild
- Rosamund Pike: as Amy Dunne in Gone Girl
Best Supporting Actor Nominees
Throughout the years, 69 actors have won 77 Best Supporting Actor awards. The first was Walter Brennan, and last year's was Jared Leto for Dallas Buyers Club.
- Edward Norton: as Mike in Birdman
- Ethan Hawke: as Dad in Boyhood
- J.K. (Jonathan Kimble) Simmons: as Fletcher in Whiplash
- Mark Ruffalo: as David Schultz in Foxcatcher
- Robert Duvall: as Joseph Palmer in The Judge
Best Supporting Actress Nominees
The first recipient of this award was Gale Sondergaard for her performance in Anthony Adverse. The most recent winner was 12 Years a Slave actress Lupita Nyong'o.
- Emma Stone: as Sam in Birdman
- Keira Knightley: as Joan Clarke in The Imitation Game
- Laura Dern: as Bobbi in Wild
- Meryl Streep: as Witch in Into the Woods
- Patricia Arquette: as Mom in Boyhood
Best Director
Of the 86 films that have earned Best Picture, 62 have also been awarded Best Director. John Ford holds the most directing Oscars, winning in 1935, 1940, 1941 and 1952.
- Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Birdman
- Bennett Miller, Foxcatcher
- Morten Tyldum, The Imitation Game
- Richard Linklater, Boyhood
- Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel
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