It’s no secret that the Oscars has its favorites. Meryl Streep has been nominated for 18 Academy Awards, and we all remember 2003 — the year the third “Lord of the Rings” cleaned up with 11 Oscars. But every year holds surprises. Last year, 9-year-old newcomer Quvenzhane Wallis was the youngest ever to be nominated for Best Actress for her first acting performance in “Beasts of the Southern Wild.” This year brings a new crop of underdogs. Look out for E! True Hollywood specials on these latest underdog stories.
Barkhad Abdi — Best Supporting Actor for “Captain Phillips”
Abdi’s success story is one Hollywood could make into an Oscar-winning movie. Abdi, who was born in Somalia, played the role of a Somalian pirate in the heavily nominated “Captain Phillips” alongside Tom Hanks. When 28-year-old Abdi was cast, he was a Minnesota limo driver who also worked at a Mall of America store and who had no prior acting experience or aspirations. This year he was nominated for 17 various awards for his performance, and is competing in the same category as Bradley Cooper and Jared Leto.
Lupita Nyong’o — Best Supporting Actress for “12 Years a Slave”
Nyong’o comes from the production world of film. She graduated from Hampshire College with a degree in Film & Theatre studies after working on the production crew for “The Constant Gardener” (2005) and “The Namesake” (2006). She made a film for her thesis project before going on to act at Yale. Although she has years of theater experience, the only other film acting experience Nyong’o has is a short film in 2005. This year, she’s not only nominated for an Oscar for her role as Patsey but 48 other awards, and she’s already won 29 of them. She may just give Jennifer Lawrence and Julia Roberts a run for their money.
June Squibb — Best Supporting Actress for “Nebraska”
Squibb is this year’s oldest nominee, and at 84 she is receiving her first award nomination, and if she wins she will be the oldest star to receive a golden statue. Squibb played Kate Grant, the cranky wife of Bruce Dern, who received his last Oscar nomination in 1978 and is up for Best Actor this year. Squibb started out as a 1950s theater star, appearing in the original production of “Gypsy” and several other successful Broadway shows. She didn’t appear on screen until 1990 in Woody Allen’s ”Alice.” After that she had small parts in various films and TV shows. This year she was nominated for 19 various awards for her role in “Nebraska.”
Chiwetel Ejiofor — Best Actor in a Leading Role for “12 Years A Slave”
In 2013, Chiwetel Ejiofor starred as Solomon Northrup in “12 Years A Slave,” which is nominated for nine Oscars, and “Savannah,” which received an eight percent critic approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. This British actor has years of experience in theater, TV and film, some of which are commercially successful, and many of which are not. Ejiofor is a talented actor who has perfected his craft and showed it off in a true and brutal story of slavery. Ejiofor’s finally getting the recognition he deserves, but going up against some intimidating Oscar veterans: Christian Bale, who won Best Actor in 2011, and Leonardo DiCaprio, who has received four nominations, but no wins.