Why are the Academy Awards called the “Oscars”?
The Oscar award – that golden statue of a man that is handed out as a merit trophy for excellence in film – was christened by the Academy’s librarian, who would later become the Executive Director, Margaret Herrick. According to legend, she looked at the statue and remarked that it looked like her uncle, Oscar!
How is an Oscar created?
Each statuette is made of pure bronze and plated in 24-carat cold. It depicts a warrior with a sword, standing on a reel of film with five spokes that represent producers, directors, actors, technicians and writers. A winner of this prestigious trophy cannot sell the trophy without first offering it back to the Academy for $1. This rule was established in 1950, so trophies won before that were sold for upward of $100,000 each!
Who is the youngest and oldest Oscar winner?
Records were broken 1973 when Tatum O’Neil became the youngest ever to win an Oscar at the age of 10, for her Best Supporting Actress role in Paper Moon. And in 2010, Christopher Plummer became the oldest awardee for his Best Supporting Actor role in the film, Beginners at the age of 82.
Who has been nominated the most times for an Oscar?
Meryl Streep still holds the record of the highest number of Oscar nominations over the course of her illustrious career – 20 times! She has also won Oscars for her performance in Sophie’s Choice, The Iron Lady and Kramer v Kramer. Jack Nicholson comes next, getting nominated a total of nine times, along with Michael Caine. He won Oscars for his performances in One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, Terms Of Endearment and As Good As It Gets.
Has anyone received an Oscar posthumously?
In what is a direct reflection to art still enriching the world even after the artist is gone, only two people have been awarded an Oscar posthumously. The first one was Peter Finch, who in 1977 won his Oscar for Network. And then in 2008, Heath Ledger received a posthumous award for his depiction of the comic book movie, The Dark Knight in which he played The Joker.
How long as an Oscar acceptance speech gone on for?
As you probably guessed, it was a woman who delivered the longest speech in the history of the Oscars. Actress Greer Garson in 1942 gave a speech that lasted for six minutes in accepting her role in Mrs. Miniver. Today, the Academy doesn’t allow speeches to go on for more than 45 seconds.
