Statistics are valid through the 2007 (80th) Academy Awards, presented on February 24, 2008. [document last updated 3/08]
OLDEST/YOUNGEST ACTING NOMINEES/WINNERS
By Category
The following statistics are based on the most reliable birthdate information available to us at the time of publishing. We welcome any information from primary sources that might indicate a different birthdate for an individual. Such sources might be birth or death certificates or databases based on such records, published interviews with the individual or published documents that cite their sources. This would NOT include the Internet Movie Database or other web sites that do not cite primary sources for their information.
ACTOR [in a Leading Role]
(* indicates a win)
Oldest Nominees [from date of birth to date of nominations announcement]
79 years, 167 days. Richard Farnsworth, The Straight Story
(1999)
[September 1, 1920 - February 15, 2000]
76 years, 271 days. *Henry Fonda, On Golden Pond (1981)
[May 16, 1905 - February 11, 1982]
74 years, 239 days. Clint Eastwood, Million Dollar Baby (2004)
[May 31, 1930 - January 25, 2005]
74 years, 174 days. Peter O'Toole, Venus (2006)
[August 2, 1932 - January 23, 2007]
71 years, 274 days. Laurence Olivier, The Boys from Brazil (1978)
[May 22, 1907 - February 20, 1979]
70 years, 19 days. Paul Newman, Nobody's Fool (1994)
[January 26, 1925 - February 14, 1995]
69 years, 334 days. Michael Caine, The Quiet American (2002)
[March 14, 1933 - February 11, 2003]
69 years, 323 days. Melvyn Douglas, I Never Sang for My Father (1970)
[April 5, 1901 - February 22, 1971]
68 years, 101 days. Burt Lancaster, Atlantic City (1981)
[November 2, 1913 - February 11, 1982]
67 years, 320 days. Spencer Tracy, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967)
[April 5, 1900 — February 19, 1968] (he died June 10, 1967)
Oldest Winners [from date of birth to date of awards ceremony]
76 years, 317 days. *Henry Fonda, On Golden Pond (1981)
[May 16, 1905 - March 29, 1982]
62 years, 316 days. *John Wayne, True Grit (1969)
[May 26, 1907 - April 7, 1970]
62 years, 209 days. *George Arliss, Disraeli (1929/30)
[April 10, 1868 - November 5, 1930]
62 years, 63 days. *Paul Newman, The Color of Money (1986)
[January 26, 1925 - March 30, 1987]
60 years, 335 days. *Jack Nicholson, As Good As It Gets (1997)
[April 22, 1937 - March 23, 1998]
60 years, 181 days. *Peter Finch, Network (1976)
[September 28, 1916 - March 28, 1977] (he died January
14, 1977)
57 years, 40 days. *Ronald Colman, A Double Life (1947)
[February 9, 1891 - March 20, 1948]
57 years, 31 days. *Rex Harrison, My Fair Lady (1964)
[March 5, 1908 - April 5, 1965]
56 years, 155 days. *Art Carney, Harry and Tonto (1974)
[November 4, 1918 - April 8, 1975]
54 years, 90 days. *Anthony Hopkins, The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
[December 31, 1937 - March 30, 1992]
Youngest Nominees [from date of birth to date of nominations announcement]
9 years, 20 days. Jackie Cooper, Skippy (1930/31)
[September 15, 1922 - October 5, 1931]
19 years, 142 days. Mickey Rooney, Babes in Arms (1939)
[September 23, 1920 - February 12, 1940]
23 years, 137 days. Mickey Rooney, The Human Comedy (1943)
[September 23, 1920 - February 7, 1944]
24 years, 3 days. John Travolta, Saturday Night Fever (1977)
[February 18, 1954 - February 21, 1978]
25 years, 10 days. James Dean, East of Eden (1955)
[February 8, 1931 - February 18, 1956] (he died September
30, 1955)
26 years, 10 days. James Dean, Giant (1956)
[February 8, 1931 - February 18, 1957] (he died September
30, 1955)
26 years, 72 days. Ryan Gosling, Half Nelson (2006)
[November 12, 1980 - January 23, 2007]
26 years, 279 days. Orson Welles, Citizen Kane (1941)
[May 6, 1915 - February 9, 1942]
26 years, 302 days. Heath Ledger, Brokeback Mountain (2005)
[April 4, 1979 - January 31, 2006]
27 years, 125 days. Matt Damon, Good Will Hunting (1997)
[October 8, 1970 - February 10, 1998]
Youngest Winners [from date of birth to date of awards ceremony]
29 years, 343 days. *Adrien Brody, The Pianist (2002)
[April 14, 1973 - March 23, 2003]
30 years, 156 days. *Richard Dreyfuss, The Goodbye Girl (1977)
[October 29, 1947 - April 3, 1978]
30 years, 361 days. *Marlon Brando, On the Waterfront (1954)
[April 3, 1924 - March 30, 1955]
31 years, 122 days. *Maximilian Schell, Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)
[December 8, 1930 - April 9, 1962]
32 years, 78 days. *Nicolas Cage, Leaving Las Vegas (1995)
[January 7, 1964 - March 25, 1996]
32 years, 283 days. *James Stewart, The Philadelphia Story (1940)
[May 20, 1908 - February 27, 1941]
32 years, 331 days. *Daniel Day-Lewis, My Left Foot (1989)
[April 29, 1957 - March 26, 1990]
34 years, 26 days. *Clark Gable, It Happened One Night (1934)
[February 1, 1901 - February 27, 1935]
34 years, 258 days. *Charles Laughton, The Private Life of Henry VIII (1932/33)
[July 1, 1899 - March 16, 1934]
34 years, 348 days. *Robert Donat, Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939)
[March 18, 1905 - February 29, 1940]
ACTOR in a Supporting Role
(* indicates a win)
Oldest Nominees [from date of birth to date of nominations announcement]
82 years, 339 days. Hal Holbrook, Into the Wild (2007)
[February 17, 1925 - January 22, 2008]
82 years, 49 days. Ralph Richardson, Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord
of the Apes (1984)
[December 19, 1902 - February 6, 1985] (he died October
10, 1983)
80 years, 28 days. *George Burns, The Sunshine Boys (1975)
[January 20, 1896 - February 17, 1976]
78 years, 326 days. *Melvyn Douglas, Being There (1979)
[April 5, 1901 - February 25, 1980]
78 years, 16 days. Paul Newman, Road to Perdition (2002)
[January 26, 1925 - February 11, 2003]
77 years, 303 days. *John Gielgud, Arthur (1981)
[April 14, 1904 - February 11, 1982]
77 years, 250 days. *Don Ameche, Cocoon (1985)
[May 31, 1908 - February 5, 1986]
75 years, 290 days. Fred Astaire, The Towering Inferno (1974)
[May 10, 1899 - February 24, 1975]
75 years, 231 days. Edmund Gwenn, Mister 880 (1950)
[June 26, 1875 - February 12, 1951]
74 years, 319 days. Alec Guinness, Little Dorrit (1988)
[April 2, 1914 - February 15, 1989]
Oldest Winners [from date of birth to date of awards ceremony]
80 years, 69 days. *George Burns, The Sunshine Boys (1975)
[January 20, 1896 - March 29, 1976]
79 years, 9 days. *Melvyn Douglas, Being There (1979)
[April 5, 1901 - April 14, 1980]
77 years, 349 days. *John Gielgud, Arthur (1981)
[April 14, 1904 - March 29, 1982]
77 years, 297 days. *Don Ameche, Cocoon (1985)
[May 31, 1908 - March 24, 1986]
73 years, 41 days. *Jack Palance, City Slickers (1991)
[February 18, 1919 - March 30, 1992]
72 years, 336 days. *Alan Arkin, Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
[March 26, 1934 - February 25, 2007]
72 years, 268 days. *Edmund Gwenn, Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
[June 26, 1875 - March 20, 1948]
71 years, 192 days. *John Houseman, The Paper Chase (1973)
[September 22, 1902 - April 2, 1974]
70 years, 202 days. *James Coburn, Affliction (1998)
[August 31, 1928 - March 21, 1999]
69 years, 270 days. *Martin Landau, Ed Wood (1994)
[June 30, 1925 - March 27, 1995]
Youngest Nominees [from date of birth to date of nominations announcement]
8 years, 276 days. Justin Henry, Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)
[May 25, 1971 - February 25, 1980]
11 years, 311 days. Haley Joel Osment, The Sixth Sense (1999)
[April 10, 1988 - February 15, 2000]
11 years, 312 days. Brandon De Wilde, Shane (1953)
[April 9, 1942 - February 15, 1954]
16 years, 147 days. Jack Wild, Oliver! (1968)
[September 30, 1952 - February 24, 1969]
17 years, 39 days. Sal Mineo, Rebel without a Cause (1955)
[January 10, 1939 - February 18, 1956]
18 years, 176 days. River Phoenix, Running on Empty (1988)
[August 23, 1970 - February 15, 1989]
19 years, 90 days. Leonardo DiCaprio, What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993)
[November 11, 1974 - February 9, 1994]
20 years, 185 days. *Timothy Hutton, Ordinary People (1980)
[August 16, 1960 - February 17, 1981]
22 years, 48 days. Sal Mineo, Exodus (1960)
[January 10, 1939 - February 27, 1961]
22 years, 80 days. Jeff Bridges, The Last Picture Show (1971)
[December 4, 1949 - February 22, 1972]
Youngest Winners [from date of birth to date of awards ceremony]
20 years, 227 days. *Timothy Hutton, Ordinary People (1980)
[August 16, 1960 - March 31, 1981]
28 years, 205 days. *George Chakiris, West Side Story (1961)
[September 16, 1933 - April 9, 1962]
29 years, 81 days. *Cuba Gooding, Jr., Jerry Maguire (1996)
[January 2, 1968 - March 24, 1997]
31 years, 42 days. *Jack Lemmon, Mister Roberts (1955)
[February 8, 1925 - March 21, 1956]
31 years, 234 days. *Robert De Niro, The Godfather Part II (1974)
[August 17, 1943 - April 8, 1975]
32 years, 81 days. *Van Heflin, Johnny Eager (1942)
[December 13, 1910 - March 4, 1943]
33 years, 58 days. *Harold Russell, The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
[January 14, 1914 - March 13, 1947]
34 years, 34 days. *Benicio Del Toro, Traffic (2000)
[February 19, 1967 - March 25, 2001]
35 years, 88 days. *Denzel Washington, Glory (1989)
[December 28, 1954 - March 26, 1990]
36 years, 9 days. *Christopher Walken, The Deer Hunter (1978)
[March 31, 1943 - April 9, 1979]
ACTRESS [in a Leading Role]
(* indicates a win)
Oldest Nominees [from date of birth to date of nominations announcement]
80 years, 252 days. *Jessica Tandy, Driving Miss Daisy (1989)
[June 7, 1909 - February 14, 1990]
80 years, 11 days. Dame Edith Evans, The Whisperers (1967)
[February 8, 1888 - February 19, 1968]
75 years, 313 days. May Robson, Lady for a Day (1932/33)
[April 19, 1858 - February 26, 1934]
74 years, 275 days. *Katharine Hepburn, On Golden Pond (1981)
[May 12, 1907 - February 11, 1982]
72 years, 45 days. Judi Dench, Notes on a Scandal (2006)
[December 9, 1934 - January 23, 2007]
71 years, 53 days. Judi Dench, Mrs. Henderson Presents (2005)
[December 9, 1934 - January 31, 2006]
69 years, 116 days. Fernanda Montenegro, Central Station (1998)
[October 16, 1929 - February 9, 1999]
68 years, 68 days. Ellen Burstyn, Requiem for a Dream (2000)
[December 7, 1932 - February 13, 2001]
67 years, 169 days. Ida Kaminska, The Shop on Main Street (1966)
[September 4, 1899 - February 20, 1967]
67 years, 65 days. Judi Dench, Iris (2001)
[December 9, 1934 - February 12, 2002]
Oldest Winners [from date of birth to date of awards ceremony]
80 years, 292 days. *Jessica Tandy, Driving Miss Daisy (1989)
[June 7, 1909 - March 26, 1990]
74 years, 321 days. *Katharine Hepburn, On Golden Pond (1981)
[May 12, 1907 - March 29, 1982]
63 years, 1 day. *Marie Dressler, Min and Bill (1930/31)
[November 9, 1868 - November 10, 1931]
61 years, 337 days. *Katharine Hepburn, The Lion in Winter (1968)
[May 12, 1907 - April 14, 1969]
61 years, 214 days. *Helen Mirren, The Queen (2006)
[July 26, 1945 - February 25, 2007]
61 years, 122 days. *Geraldine Page, The Trip to Bountiful (1985)
[November 22, 1924 - March 24, 1986]
60 years, 334 days. *Katharine Hepburn, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967)
[May 12, 1907 - April 10, 1968]
54 years, 201 days. *Shirley Booth, Come Back, Little Sheba (1952)
[August 30, 1898 - March 19, 1953]
49 years, 351 days. *Shirley MacLaine, Terms of Endearment (1983)
[April 24, 1934 - April 9, 1984]
49 years, 173 days. *Susan Sarandon, Dead Man Walking (1995)
[October 4, 1946 - March 25, 1996]
Youngest Nominees [from date of birth to date of nominations announcement]
13 years, 309 days. Keisha Castle-Hughes, Whale Rider (2003)
[March 24, 1990 - January 27, 2004]
20 years, 235 days. Isabelle Adjani, The Story of Adele H. (1975)
[June 27, 1955 - February 17, 1976]
20 years, 311 days. Keira Knightley, Pride & Prejudice (2005)
[March 26, 1985 - January 31, 2006]
20 years, 335 days. Ellen Page, Juno (2007)
[February 21, 1987 - January 22, 2008]
21 years, 171 days. *Marlee Matlin, Children of a Lesser God (1986)
[August 24, 1965 - February 11, 1987]
22 years, 60 days. Elizabeth Hartman, A Patch of Blue (1965)
[December 23, 1943 - February 21, 1966]
22 years, 128 days. Kate Winslet, Titanic (1997)
[October 5, 1975 - February 10, 1998]
22 years, 134 days. *Janet Gaynor, 7th Heaven, Street Angel,
and Sunrise (1927/28)
[October 6, 1906 - February 17, 1929]
22 years, 229 days. Leslie Caron, Lili (1953)
[July 1, 1931 - February 15, 1954]
23 years, 108 days. Julia Roberts, Pretty Woman (1990)
[October 28, 1967 - February 13, 1991]
Youngest Winners [from date of birth to date of awards ceremony]
21 years, 218 days. *Marlee Matlin, Children of a Lesser God (1986)
[August 24, 1965 - March 30, 1987]
22 years, 222 days. *Janet Gaynor, 7th Heaven, Street Angel,
and Sunrise (1927/28)
[October 6, 1906 - May 16, 1929]
24 years, 127 days. *Joan Fontaine, Suspicion (1941)
[October 22, 1917 - February 26, 1942]
24 years, 325 days. *Audrey Hepburn, Roman Holiday (1953)
[May 4, 1929 - March 25, 1954]
25 years exactly. *Jennifer Jones, The Song of Bernadette (1943)
[March 2, 1919 - March 2, 1944]
25 years, 4 days. *Julie Christie, Darling (1965)
[April 14, 1941 - April 18, 1966]
25 years, 138 days. *Grace Kelly, The Country Girl (1954)
[November 12, 1929 - March 30, 1955]
25 years, 240 days. *Hilary Swank, Boys Don't Cry (1999)
[July 30, 1974 - March 26, 2000]
26 years, 116 days. *Vivien Leigh, Gone with the Wind (1939)
[November 5, 1913 - February 29, 1940]
26 years, 130 days. *Jodie Foster, The Accused (1988)
[November 19, 1962 - March 29, 1989]
ACTRESS in a Supporting Role
(* indicates a win)
Oldest Nominees [from date of birth to date of nominations announcement]
87 years, 221 days. Gloria Stuart, Titanic (1997)
[July 4, 1910 - February 10, 1998]
83 years, 87 days. Ruby Dee, American Gangster (2007)
[October 27, 1924 - January 22, 2008]
82 years, 257 days. Jessica Tandy, Fried Green Tomatoes
(1991)
[June 7, 1909 - February 19, 1992]
82 years, 37 days. Eva Le Gallienne, Resurrection
(1980)
[January 11, 1899 - February 17, 1981]
79 years, 26 days. Ann Sothern, The Whales of August
(1987)
[January 22, 1909 - February 17, 1988]
77 years, 234 days. Dame May Whitty, Mrs. Miniver
(1942)
[June 19, 1865 - February 8, 1943]
77 years, 46 days. *Peggy Ashcroft, A Passage to India
(1984)
[December 22, 1907 - February 6, 1985]
77 years, 15 days. Dame Edith Evans, The Chalk Garden (1964)
[February 8, 1888 - February 23, 1965]
76 years, 67 days. Gladys Cooper, My Fair Lady (1964)
[December 18, 1888 - February 23, 1965]
76 years, 16 days. Dame Edith Evans, Tom Jones (1963)
[February 8, 1888 - February 24, 1964]
Oldest Winners [from date of birth to date of awards ceremony]
77 years, 93 days. *Peggy Ashcroft, A Passage to India (1984)
[December 22, 1907 - March 25, 1985]
72 years, 166 days. *Ruth Gordon, Rosemary's Baby (1968)
[October 30, 1896 - April 14, 1969]
71 years, 338 days. *Margaret Rutherford, The V.I.P.s (1963)
[May 11, 1892 - April 13, 1964]
70 years, 187 days. *Helen Hayes, Airport (1970)
[October 10, 1900 - April 15, 1971]
67 years, 85 days. *Josephine Hull, Harvey (1950)
[January 3, 1884 - March 29, 1951]
65 years, 212 days. *Ethel Barrymore, None but the Lonely Heart (1944)
[August 15, 1879 - March 15, 1945]
64 years, 102 days. *Judi Dench, Shakespeare in Love (1998)
[December 9, 1934 - March 21, 1999]
62 years, 238 days. *Beatrice Straight, Network (1976)
[August 2, 1914 - March 28, 1977]
61 years, 135 days. *Jane Darwell, The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
[October 15, 1879 - February 27, 1941]
59 years, 222 days. *Ingrid Bergman, Murder on the Orient Express (1974)
[August 29, 1915 - April 8, 1975]
Youngest Nominees [from date of birth to date of nominations announcement]
10 years, 106 days. *Tatum O'Neal, Paper Moon (1973)
[November 5, 1963 - February 19, 1974]
10 years, 141 days. Mary Badham, To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
[October 7, 1952 - February 25, 1963]
10 years, 192 days. Quinn Cummings, The Goodbye Girl (1977)
[August 13, 1967 - February 21, 1978]
10 years, 284 days. Abigail Breslin, Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
[April 14, 1996 - January 23, 2007]
11 years, 181 days. Patty McCormack, The Bad Seed (1956)
[August 21, 1945 - February 18, 1957]
11 years, 200 days. *Anna Paquin, The Piano (1993)
[July 24, 1982 - February 9, 1994]
13 years, 285 days. Saoirse Ronan, Atonement (2007)
[April 12, 1994 - January 22, 2008]
14 years, 5 days. Bonita Granville, These Three (1936)
[February 2, 1923 - February 7, 1937]
14 years, 83 days. Jodie Foster, Taxi Driver (1976)
[November 19, 1962 - February 10, 1977]
15 years, 28 days. Linda Blair, The Exorcist (1973)
[January 22, 1959 - February 19, 1974]
Youngest Winners [from date of birth to date of awards ceremony]
10 years, 148 days. *Tatum O'Neal, Paper Moon (1973)
[November 5, 1963 - April 2, 1974]
11 years, 240 days. *Anna Paquin, The Piano (1993)
[July 24, 1982 - March 21, 1994]
16 years, 115 days. *Patty Duke, The Miracle Worker (1962)
[December 14, 1946 - April 8, 1963]
23 years, 310 days. *Anne Baxter, The Razor's Edge (1946)
[May 7, 1923 - March 13, 1947]
24 years, 128 days. *Teresa Wright, Mrs. Miniver (1942)
[October 27, 1918 - March 4, 1943]
24 years, 137 days. *Goldie Hawn, Cactus Flower (1969)
[November 21, 1945 - April 7, 1970]
24 years, 296 days. *Angelina Jolie, Girl, Interrupted (1999)
[June 4, 1975 - March 26, 2000]
25 years, 166 days. *Jennifer Hudson, Dreamgirls (2006)
[September 12, 1981 - February 25, 2007]
27 years, 17 days. *Shirley Jones, Elmer Gantry (1960)
[March 31, 1934 - April 17, 1961]
27 years, 111 days. *Gloria Grahame, The Bad and the Beautiful (1952)
[November 28, 1925 - March 19, 1953]
ACTING HONORARY AWARD WINNERS
(* indicates a win)
Oldest [from date of birth to date of awards ceremony]
85 years, 207 days. *Myrna Loy (1990)
[August 2, 1905 - March 25, 1991]
83 years, 182 days. *Groucho Marx (1973)
[October 2, 1890 - April 2, 1974]
82 years, 360 days. *Charles Chaplin (1971)
[April 16, 1889 - April 10, 1972]
82 years, 356 days. *Mary Pickford (1975)
[April 8, 1893 - March 29, 1976]
82 years, 286 days. *Ralph Bellamy (1986)
[June 17, 1904 - March 30, 1987]
79 years, 107 days. *Kirk Douglas (1995)
[December 9, 1916 - March 25, 1996]
Youngest [from date of birth to date of awards ceremony]
6 years, 310 days. *Shirley Temple (1934)
[April 23, 1928 - February 27, 1935]
7 years, 91 days. *Vincent Winter, The Little Kidnappers (1954)
[December 29, 1947 - March 30, 1955]
8 years, 59 days. *Margaret O'Brien (1944)
[January 15, 1937 - March 15, 1945]
10 years, 39 days. *Jon Whiteley, The Little Kidnappers (1954)
[February 19, 1945 - March 30, 1955]
12 years, 59 days. *Ivan Jandl, The Search (1948)
[January 24, 1937 - March 24, 1949]
12 years, 167 days. *Claude Jarman, Jr. (1946)
[September 27, 1934 - March 13, 1947]
12 years, 324 days. *Bobby Driscoll (1949)
[May 3, 1937 - March 23, 1950]
14 years, 364 days. *Hayley Mills, Pollyanna (1960)
[April 18, 1946 - April 17, 1961]
15 years, 32 days. *Peggy Ann Garner (1945)
[February 3, 1931 - March 7, 1946]
17 years, 81 days. *Deanna Durbin (1938)
[December 4, 1921 - February 23, 1939]