The 87th annual Academy Awards this Sunday, February 22nd are set to be some of the best in years. Thanks to the addition of five extra Best Picture nominees in the category a few years ago, the Oscars have drawn in record-breaking TV audiences and landed quirky hosts like Neil Patrick Harris. This year’s Oscar nominees are an interesting bunch – ranging from Hollywood legends to relative newcomers – and the show will be one to watch.
We bet you didn’t know some of the interesting stories behind the life and times of this year’s Oscar nominees. Read on for a few facts you can impress with at your own Oscar Awards party!
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Nominated for her Best Supporting Actress role in “Wild,” Dern has been on the Hollywood scene for decades. She comes from quite a lineage (her dad is famed actor Bruce Dern) and grew up in a family of actors and artists. Here’s where it gets interesting. In 1982 Dern was the youngest-ever winner of the Miss Golden Globe title and has since become a notable opponent of toxins in children’s food sources. Dern met musician Ben Harper in 2000, they married in 2005 and had two kids together, then underwent a series of very public on-again-off-again moments until they finally split for good in September 2013. Dern also once dated Nicholas Cage – just like fellow nominee Patricia Arquette!
Linklater is up as the director of “Boyhood,” but is most famous for his direction of “Dazed and Confused.” Born in Houston, Linklater lived a pretty normal life throughout his teens and started Sam Houston State University after high school but dropped out after one semester. He then worked on an offshore oil rig, developing an intense love of books during the long, boring nights. When he returned to shore Linklater bought a Super-8 camera, enrolled in film classes, and moved to Austin, Texas. It’s there that he found his directorial voice and he’s since directed over 20 feature films.
Diane Warren is nominated for a Best Original Song Oscar for her writing of “Grateful,” performed by Rita Ora for the movie “Beyond the Lights.” Warren herself has an interesting backstory, writing music from age 14 as an “alienated Jew” in LA. She’s publicly stated she has no interest in romantic relationships and maintains an almost vice-like grip on her Hollywood office, whom no one else has entered in 17 years. But the real drama is in her nomination. This marks Warren’s 7th Academy Award nomination and if she doesn’t win? She’ll be 0-7, a new record for the awards. Diane Warren is the Susan Lucci of the Academy Awards.
Anderson, nominated as Best Director of “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” is a character, to say the least. While attending college in Austin where he studied philosophy, Anderson roomed with Owen Wilson who now stars in many of his films. Anderson initially thought he’d be a writer but through playing around with a camera as a teen discovered his love of film. He’s got an unconventional working style, sometimes delivering his direction in a whisper and often using psychological tricks to get his actors to perform the way he wants. Unbelievably, if Anderson wins this year it will be his first-ever Oscar.
Witherspoon is often called “America’s Sweetheart” though her role as Cheryl Strayed in “Wild,” landing her a nomination for Best Actress, is anything but. Raised in Nashville, Witherspoon was actually a debutante and attended a private, all-girls high school. All signs pointed to her heading into medicine after college – but her interest in acting took her in a totally different direction. Oh, and fun fact, Witherspoon is actually a direct descendent of one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence!
Are you planning on watching the Oscars this Sunday? Head to Spokeo right now to check out bios and current information on your favorite names and actors!