All The Kick Ass Girls Who Have Won The Best Actress Oscar While Under 25

Oh no, jealous? Us. Not at all my friend. Not at all.

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by Jess Commons |
Published on

Holy smokes there's some talented ladies nominted for the Best Actress Oscar this year isn't there? From Julianne Moore to Felicity Jones, Reese Witherspoon, Rosamund Pike to Marion Cotillard it's basically the line-up from our dream dinner party. You know the one where we'd invite all these women over then stand awkwardly in the corner fingering the hummus while they swap beautifully humble stories about their incredible careers and talents? Yeah, that one.

Anyways, did you know that nine of the best actress winners in the past have been aged 25 or under? We barely had a job that let us pay rent at the age of 25, let alone a career so successful that the whole world tuned in to watch us pick up a little statuette of a naked man. So... well done you over achieving young ladies who've A) done a fantastic job of being great and B) slightly put us to shame.

Here they are.

Gallery

Female under 25 Oscar winners

Grace Kelly, 19551 of 9

Grace Kelly, 1955

The future Mrs Princess of Monaco and subject of a dodgy Nicole Kidman film, Grace Kelly’s Best Actress Oscar at 25 was for Country Girl about a down and out actor who’s having one last shot at a comeback.
Fun Fact: Comedian Groucho Marx wasn’t happy Grace Kelly won the Oscar over Judy Garland and sent her a telegram saying it was ‘a robbery’. Again, thanks for the input menfolk.

Audrey Hepburn, 19542 of 9

Audrey Hepburn, 1954

Audrey picked up her first Oscar at the age of 24 for Roman Holiday, the film about the spoilt princess who runs away from her royal constraints to have a wicked time by herself. Except, she can’t do anything by herself. Luckily she meets Gregory Peck. Thank goodness for menfolk eh?
Fun Fact: Truman Capote said Audrey was ‘grossly miscast’ as Holly Golightly in Breakfast At Tiffany’s and instead wished Marilyn Monroe had played the part. Which seems a little mean.

Julie Christie, 19663 of 9

Julie Christie, 1966

Perhaps the biggest babe the 60s ever produced, Julie won her best actress award for Darling about a model with a penchant for partying and her subsequent downward spiral.
Fun Fact: Julie made her own Oscars dress the year she won. Thrifty.

Hilary Swank, 20004 of 9

Hilary Swank, 2000

Hilary was only 25 when she won Best Actress for Boys Don’t Cry back in 2000, for which she lived as a boy for a month.
Fun Fact: Hilary was paid $3000 for Boys Don’t Cry.

Jennifer Lawrence, 20135 of 9

Jennifer Lawrence, 2013

The SECOND youngest winner at 22 for Silver Linings Playbook. Which, TBH, she deserved just for the dance sequence alone.
Fun Fact: Jennifer is also in the film adaptation of a little known book series called The Hunger Games. You should check them out, they’re pretty good.

Jennifer Jones, 19446 of 9

Jennifer Jones, 1944

Jennifer won her Oscar for best actress on her 25 birthday, which seems like it would probably be a good present. She won it for The Song of Bernadette, about the woman who saw the visions of the Virgin Mary at Lourdes, where my Nana liked to visit on coach trips.
Fun Fact: Jennifer was born as ‘Phylis’ but apparently that wasn’t OK because the studio renamed her. Thanks guys!

Marlee Matlin, 19877 of 9

Marlee Matlin, 1987

Still the youngest Best Actress winner at 21 years old, Marlee is also the only deaf actor to win an Oscar. Marlee starred in Children of a Lesser God; about a school for deaf kids.
Fun fact: West Wing fans will recognise Marlee as the pollster who nearly won the heart of stone cold fox Josh.

Janet Gaynor, 19298 of 9

Janet Gaynor, 1929

Teeny tiny Janet is still the third youngest Best Actress winner of all time and, she was also the first; winning for Seventh Heaven, Street Angel and Sunrise: A Song Of Two Humans (actors used to win for multiple roles) at the age of 22.
Fun fact: Janet was only 5 foot tall(!) making this picture of her even more adorable and me feel like a giant heffalump.

Joan Fontaine, 19429 of 9

Joan Fontaine, 1942

Sister to the also Oscar-winning Olivia De Havilland (the two reportedly had a frightful feud), British Joan won the Best Actress award at 24 for Alfred Hitchcock’s Suspicion.
Fun fact: Joan adopted a four year old Peruvian girl called Martita, who she promised to send her back to visit her parents when she turned 16. Martita refused to go back though and ran away. No pleasing some people.

Like this? Then you might also be interested in:

The Creator Of The Bechdel Test Film Festival Talks Oscar Nominations And Why We Need Women Creating Film

Here's Everyone That Won At The BAFTAs 2015

All The BAFTA Films Told In Emojis** **

Follow Jess on Twitter @Jess_Commons

This article originally appeared on The Debrief.

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