Quvenzhané Wallis

Quvenzhané Wallis (/kwəˈvɛnʒəneɪ/ kwə-VEN-zhə-nay;^[1] born August 28, 2003)^[2][3] is an American actress and author. In 2012, she starred as Hushpuppy in the drama film Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012), for which she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress, becoming the youngest actress to be nominated in the category, as well as the first (and as of 2024 only) actor born in the 21st century nominated for an Oscar.^[4][5][a] She went on to appear in the Steve McQueen film 12 Years a Slave (2013). Wallis starred as Annie Bennett in the 2014 adaptation of Annie, for which she received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical.^[6]

Quvenzhané Wallis
Wallis at the 6th Annual Essence Black Women in Hollywood in 2013
Born	(2003-08-28) August 28, 2003 (age 21) Houma, Louisiana, U.S.
Occupations	Actress author
Years active	2012–present

Wallis is also known for voicing the character Harper in the animated film Trolls (2016); as well as her role as Kyra in the television sitcom Black-ish (2019).

As an author, she has published four children's books, Shai & Emmie Star in Break an Egg!, A Night Out with Mama, Shai & Emmie Star in Dancy Pants! and Shai & Emmie Star in To the Rescue!^[7]

Early life

Wallis was born in Houma, Louisiana, to Qulyndreia Wallis (née Jackson), a teacher, and Venjie Wallis Sr., a truck driver.^[8] She has one sister, Qunyquekya, and two brothers, Vejon and Venjie Jr.^[2][9][10] Her name "Quvenzhané" combines the first syllables of her parents' first names in "Quven", and an alteration of the Swahili word jini meaning 'sprite' or 'fairy'.^[11]

Career

At age five, Wallis lied about her age to audition for Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012), which had a minimum tryout age of 6. She was chosen out of 4,000 to play Hushpuppy, an indomitable child prodigy and survivalist who lives with her dying father in the backwoods bayou squalor of Louisiana.^[12] Director Benh Zeitlin told The Daily Beast that when he auditioned Wallis, he immediately realized he had discovered what he was looking for, and changed the Beasts of the Southern Wild script to accommodate her strong-willed personality. Her reading prowess, loud screaming voice, and ability to burp on command impressed the director and won her the part.^[10] Zeitlin has stated that "it was just the feeling behind her eyes".^[13]

The film premiered at Sundance Film Festival in January 2012 to rave reviews, winning the Grand Jury Prize. In May 2012, Wallis flew to France for the premiere of the film at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. Wallis's performance drew widespread acclaim and Zeitlin won the Caméra d'Or, the festival's award for best first feature film. On January 10, 2013, at age nine, Wallis was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role. Wallis, who was 6 when she filmed Beasts of the Southern Wild, is the all-time youngest nominee for Best Actress and the third-youngest nominee in any category.^[14][15] Wallis is the first African-American child actor and the first person born in the 21st century to earn an Oscar nomination.

Wallis had a role in the film 12 Years a Slave (2013), and collaborated with the Sundance Film Festival on a short film called Boneshaker. In 2014, she played the title character in Annie, the first African American to do so.^[16] For this, she was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical but the film was panned by critics.^{[citation needed]} In May 2014, Wallis became the first child celebrity to be named the face of a luxury brand when she was signed by Armani Junior, Giorgio Armani's fashion line for children and teens.^[17]

Wallis appeared in Beyoncé's 2016 music video for "All Night".^[18] In October 2017, she released two children's books: the friendship-centric Shai & Emmie Star in Break an Egg! and A Night Out With Mama, which is about her night at the Oscars with her mother.^[19][20] She published two more books, Shai & Emmie Star in To the Rescue! and Shai & Emmie Star in Dancy Pants!, in 2018.^[7][21]

She became a member of the Actors Branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2018.^[22]

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2012	Beasts of the Southern Wild	Hushpuppy
2013	12 Years a Slave	Margaret Northup
2014	Annie	Annie Bennett
	The Prophet	Almitra (voice)
2015	Fathers and Daughters	Lucy
2016	Lemonade	Herself
	Trolls	Harper (voice)
2024	Breathe	Zora	[23]

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2019	Black-ish	Kyra	Recurring role (season 5)
2021–2023	Swagger	Crystal	Main role
2022	American Horror Stories	Bianca	Episode: "Bloody Mary"

Awards and nominations

Award	Year	Category	Work	Result	Ref.
Academy Awards	2013	Best Actress	Beasts of the Southern Wild	Nominated	[24]
Alliance of Women Film Journalists	2013	Best Breakthrough Performance		Won	[25]
Austin Film Critics Association	2012	Breakthrough Artist Award		Won	[26]
Awards Circuit Community	2012	Best Actress in a Leading Role		Nominated	[27]
Black Reel Awards	2013	Best Actress		Won
		Best Breakthrough Performance		Won
Central Ohio Film Critics Association	2013	Best Actress		Nominated	[28]
		Breakthrough Film Artist (acting)		Runner-up
Chicago Film Critics Association	2012	Best Actress		Nominated	[29]
		Most Promising Performer		Won
Chlotrudis Awards	2013	Best Actress		Nominated	[30]
Critics' Choice Movie Awards	2013	Best Actress		Nominated	[31]
		Best Young Actor/Actress		Won
Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association	2012	Best Actress		5th place	[32]
Denver Film Critics Society	2013	Best Actress		Nominated	[33]
Florida Film Critics Circle	2012	Pauline Kael Breakout Award		Won	[34]
Georgia Film Critics Association	2013	Best Actress		Nominated	[35]
		Breakthrough Award		Nominated
Gold Derby Film Awards	2013	Best Lead Actress		Nominated	[36]
		Best Breakthrough Performer		Won
Gotham Independent Film Awards	2012	Breakthrough Actor		Nominated	[37]
Hollywood Film Awards	2012	New Hollywood Award		Won	[38]
Houston Film Critics Society	2013	Best Actress		Nominated	[39]
Independent Spirit Awards	2013	Best Female Lead		Nominated	[40]
IndieWire Critics Poll	2012	Best Lead Performance		8th place	[41]
International Online Cinema Awards	2013	Best Actress		Nominated	[42]
NAACP Image Awards	2013	Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture		Nominated
National Board of Review	2012	Best Breakthrough Actress		Won	[43]
New York Film Critics Online	2012	Best Breakthrough Performer		Won	[44]
North Carolina Film Critics Association	2013	Best Actress		Nominated	[45]
Online Film Critics Society	2013	Best Actress		Nominated	[46]
Online Film and Television Association	2013	Best Actress		Nominated	[47]
		Best Youth Performance		Nominated
		Breakout Performance (female)		Won
Phoenix Film Critics Society	2012	Best Actress		Nominated	[48]
		Best Female Youth Performance		Won
		Breakout Performance (on screen)		Won
Satellite Awards	2012	Outstanding New Talent		Won	[49]
St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association	2012	Best Actress		Nominated	[50]
Utah Film Critics Association	2012	Best Actress		Nominated	[51]
Village Voice Film Poll	2012	Best Actress		5th place	[52]
		Breakthrough Artist Award		Won	[53]
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association	2012	Best Youth Performance		Won	[54]
Women Film Critics Circle	2012	Best Young Actress		Won	[55]
Phoenix Film Critics Society	2013	Best Acting Ensemble	12 Years a Slave	Nominated
Black Reel Awards	2015	Outstanding Actress, Motion Picture	Annie	Nominated
Critics' Choice Movie Awards	2015	Best Young Actor/Actress		Nominated
Golden Globe Awards	2015	Best Actress – Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical		Nominated
NAACP Image Awards	2015	Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture		Nominated
Women Film Critics Circle	2014	Best Young Actress		Nominated
Black Reel Awards	2016	Outstanding Voice Performance	The Prophet	Nominated

See also

• List of oldest and youngest Academy Award winners and nominees – Youngest nominees for Best Actress in a Leading Role
• List of actors with Academy Award nominations
• List of accolades received by Beasts of the Southern Wild

Notes

1. As the only person born in the 21st century to be nominated for an acting Oscar, Wallis holds the additional distinction of being the youngest living Oscar nominee by present age, as of 2024.

References

1. "11 Celeb Names You're Totally Pronouncing Wrong". Seventeen. July 31, 2017. Retrieved November 19, 2017.
2. "Beasts of the Southern Wild press kit" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 8, 2014. Retrieved December 30, 2012.
3. "Monitor". Entertainment Weekly. No. 1274. August 30, 2013. p. 20.
4. Blakely, Rhys (January 10, 2013). "Youngest v oldest actress vie for Oscar as Lincoln leads the pack". The Times. Retrieved January 10, 2013.
5. Walker, Tim (January 10, 2013). "Quvenzhané Wallis v Emmanuelle Riva: Best actress Oscar contested by oldest and youngest ever nominees". The Independent. Retrieved January 10, 2013.
6. Nicholson, Amy (June 29, 2012). "Quvenzhané Conquers Hollywood: 20 Questions for the 8-year-old star of Beasts of the Southern Wild)". Boxoffice.com. Archived from the original on April 19, 2013. Retrieved December 14, 2012.
7. A Shai & Emmie Story. Retrieved December 27, 2019.
8. The Deadline Team (November 24, 2012). "OSCARS Interview: Quvenzhané Wallis". Deadline. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
9. McKnight, Laura (May 13, 2010). "Houma girl to star in independent film". The Daily Comet. Retrieved December 14, 2012.
10. Ebert, Roger (June 22, 2012). "Quvenzhané. A small force of nature". Roger Ebert's Journal. Retrieved December 14, 2012.
11. Ward, Kate (February 20, 2013). "How to Pronounce 25 Difficult Celebrity Names". Hollywood.com. Archived from the original on June 4, 2017. Retrieved June 3, 2017. The first name of the Oscar-nominated Beasts of Southern Wild star is, fittingly, a beast. But it has a lovely backstory: "Quven" combines her parents' first names (Qulyndreia and Venjie) and "zhane" is Swahili for "fairy".
12. Truitt, Brian (June 26, 2012). "Quvenzhane Wallis makes 'Southern Wild' sing". USA Today. Retrieved June 26, 2012.
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15. Alexander, Bryan (January 10, 2013). "History-making Quvenzhane Wallis: 'This is special'". USA Today.
16. Rottenberg, Josh (February 24, 2013). "Beasts of the Southern Wild' breakout Quvenzhané Wallis to star in new big-screen 'Annie'". EW.com.
17. Merle Ginsberg (May 22, 2014). "Quvenzhane Wallis Named Face of Armani Junior (Exclusive)". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 23, 2015.
18. Vincenty, Samantha (November 30, 2016). "Watch Beyonce's 'All Night' Video from 'Lemonade'". PopCrush. Retrieved November 30, 2022.
19. "Actress Quvenzhane Wallis Pens and Releases Two Children's Books". October 5, 2017.
20. Chevel Johnson (October 2, 2017). "Actress Quvenzhane Wallis taking new on a new role of author". Associated Press. Retrieved March 12, 2018.
21. Rebecca Sun (November 12, 2017). "Rep Sheet Roundup: WME Signs Trio of Hit Rock Bands From CAA". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 12, 2018.
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23. Lodderhose, Diana (May 10, 2022). "Sam Worthington, Jennifer Hudson, Milla Jovovich, Quvenzhané Wallis & Common Set For Stefon Bristol's Action-Thriller 'Breathe' From Thunder Road & Capstone – Cannes Market". Deadline. Retrieved December 29, 2022.
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33. "2013 DFCS Awards". Denver Film Critics Society. January 7, 2013. Archived from the original on February 23, 2023. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
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36. "2012 Gold Derby Film Awards". Gold Derby. March 7, 2016. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
37. "Nominees Announced for IFP's 22nd Annual Gotham Independent Film Awards". Gotham Independent Film Awards. October 18, 2012. Archived from the original on April 20, 2021. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
38. Feinberg, Scott (September 12, 2012). "Hollywood Film Awards to Honor Judd Apatow and 'Beasts of the Southern Wild' Actress (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on June 24, 2022. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
39. Knegt, Peter (January 6, 2013). "Argo Leads Houston Film Critics' Society Awards". IndieWire. Archived from the original on February 5, 2017. Retrieved July 26, 2022.
40. "2013 Spirit Award Nominees Announced". Independent Spirit Awards. November 27, 2012. Archived from the original on December 2, 2012. Retrieved November 27, 2012.
41. "Indiewire 2012 Year-End Critics Poll - Best Performance". IndieWire. Archived from the original on March 10, 2013. Retrieved March 3, 2013.
42. "International Online Cinema Awards (INOCA) - 2013 Awards". IMDb. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
43. "2012 Award Winners". National Board of Review. Archived from the original on October 14, 2014. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
44. Kilday, Gregg (December 9, 2012). "New York Film Critics Online Hail 'Zero Dark Thirty'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 12, 2022. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
45. "North Carolina Film Critics Association Best in Cinema 2012". North Carolina Film Critics Association. January 2, 2013. Archived from the original on October 5, 2022. Retrieved May 14, 2022.
46. "2012 Awards (16th Annual)". Online Film Critics Society. December 24, 2012. Archived from the original on October 7, 2014. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
47. "17th Annual Film Awards (2012)". Online Film and Television Association. Archived from the original on April 22, 2021. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
48. "Phoenix Film Critics Society 2012 Award Nominations". Phoenix Film Critics Society. Archived from the original on June 5, 2013. Retrieved August 18, 2012.
49. "Satellite Awards Nominates 10 Films for Best Motion Picture". The Hollywood Reporter. December 3, 2012. Archived from the original on May 18, 2021. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
50. "St. Louis Film Critics Awards Nominees For 2012 Announced". St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association. December 12, 2012. Archived from the original on December 15, 2012.
51. "Utah Film Critics Association Awards - 2012 Awards". IMDb. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
52. "The 2012 Village Voice Film Poll - Actress". The Village Voice. Archived from the original on December 19, 2013. Retrieved December 24, 2012.
53. "The 2012 Village Voice Film Poll - Breakthrough". The Village Voice. Archived from the original on January 1, 2014. Retrieved December 24, 2012.
54. "The 2012 WAFCA Awards". Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association. December 10, 2012. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved December 19, 2012.
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External links

• Quvenzhané Wallis at IMDb