Academy Awards: The 10 Youngest Actors To Win An Oscar (So Far!) (2024)

The92nd Academy Awards is almost here, so to celebrate the ceremony's continuing legacy, we thought it was time to look back at the youngest actors to ever receive an Oscar.

In this ranking, we'll be looking at any actor who has received a Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, or Best Supporting Actress award. Additionally, we'll be considering the age an actor was at the time they receivedan award, not at the time they appeared in the movie they received an award for.

Finally, it's worth noting that we'll be looking at how many years and days old an actor was at the time of their award; This is why not every young 24-year-old Oscar recipient will be getting a nod here.

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With the logistics out of the way, it's time to travel back throughAcademy Award history and look at some of the most talented performersaround; Here are the youngest actors towin an Oscar.

Teresa Wright (24, 138 days)

Teresa Wright appeared in her first film, The Little Foxes, in 1941. The next year, she took home an Oscar for her supporting role in Mrs. Miniver.

This romantic war drama, based on the novel of the same name by Jan Struther, tells of a British housewife who deals with the far-reaching effects of World War II. Though Greer Garson starred, Teresa Wright supported as Carol, the love interest ofthe main character'seldest son.

The film additionally took home Outstanding Motion Picture; Best Director; Best Actress; Best Writing, Screenplay; and Best Cinematography, Black-and-White.

Joan Fontaine (23, 128 days)

Though Joan Fontaine received an Academy Award nomination at 23 for her performance in Rebecca, she didn't walk away with an Oscar until a year later in 1941.

Fontaine won an Academy Award for her starring performance in Suspicion. This romantic psychological thriller tells of a woman whoquickly marriesa charming man whom she eventually suspects is a killer.

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Though the film was nominated for Best Picture and Best Original Score, Fontaine was the only personwho worked on the project that went home with an Academy Award.

Anne Baxter(23, 310 days)

In 1947, a23-years-old, Anne Baxter nabbed a supporting actress award for her performance in themovie adaption of W. Somerset Maugham's novel, The Razor's Edge.

The film tells of a man named Larry who, after working as a pilot in World War I, decides tosearch out new meaning in life. Baxter plays a childhood friend of Larry, Sophie, whois quickly faced with a fresh series of life difficulties.

Janet Gaynor (22, 223 days)

The iconic film, stage, andtelevision actress Janet Gaynor took home her only Academy Award in 1929 for her performances in Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans,7th Heaven, andStreet Angel.

The Best Actress award was given to her at the inaugural Oscars ceremony, hence the reason more than one of Gaynor's films was considered. She held the record as the youngest leading actress to score an Academy Award for 58 years, from 1929 to 1987.

Jennifer Lawrence (22, 196 days)

Though Jennifer Lawrence has been given four Academy Award nominations, she has won only one: Best Actress for her performance in Silver Linings Playbook at the age of 22.

The 2012 romantic comedy-drama tells of a man (Bradley Cooper) with bipolar disorder who moves into his parents' house soon after getting out of a psychiatric hospital. Though he hopes to reunite with his estranged wife, he soon finds himself helping out a young window(portrayed by Lawrence) who wishes to win a ballroom dance competition.

Marlee Matlin (21)

Marelle Matlin became the youngestactor ever to receive an Academy Award for a leading role. She won an Oscar for her debut film, Children of a Lesser God, in 1986.

This romantic drama, based on the stage play of the same name, tells ofthe romance between a deaf custodian and hearing speech teacher whose variedlivescreate difficulties in their relationship.

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Through this win, Matlin became the only deaf actor to have everland an Academy Award.

Timothy Hutton (20)

The youngest male actor to ever receive anAcademy Awardforhis performance is Timothy Hutton, who scoredhis first and only Oscar for his supporting role in Ordinary People in 1980.

This drama film tells of an upper-middle-class family from Illinois who deals with the aftermath of one of their sons' attempted suicideand the other's death. Hutton plays thefirst of these two boys, Conrad Jarrett.

Themovie also managed to nab the coveted Best Picture title during the 53rd Academy Awards ceremony.

Patty Duke (16)

In 1963, a 16-year-oldPatty Duke took home the Oscar for Best Actress in a Supporting Role thanks to her stellar performance in The Miracle Worker.

This biographical film recounts the companionship betweentutor Anne Sullivanand her blind-and-deaf student, Helen Keller. While Anne Bancroft starred as Sullivan,Duke played the role of Keller. Bancroft also managed to win the Best Actress award for her performance.

Anna Paquin (11)

Anna Paquin walked away with her only supporting actress award at the Oscars in 1994 for her role in The Piano. Then 11, Paquin acted as the daughter of a psychologically mute woman who lives in New Zealand during the mid-1900s.

Holly Hunter starred in the leading role,winning the Best Actress award the same year as Paquin. Though theperiod drama didn't take home the coveted Best Picture the year of its release, it did manage to score Best Original Screenplay.

Tatum O'Neal (10)

The youngest actor to ever receive an Academy Award is Tatum O'Neal, who scored her first and only Oscar at the age of 10 for her supporting role in Paper Moon in 1973.

This comedy-drama, adapted from the novel Addie Pray by Joe David Bron, tells of a father and daughter who work together as con-artists in the Midwest during the Great Depression.

Tatum O'Neal starred alongside her real-life father, Ryan O'Neal. He had received anOscarfor his performance in Love Story two years prior.

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