Quvenzhané Wallis
Performance: Hushpuppy in Beasts of the Southern Wild (Oscar nomination, Best Actress)
Benh Zeitlin’s magical-realist take on Hurricane Katrina rests on the tiny shoulders of its charismatic star, who at 9 is the youngest Best Actress contender in Oscar history. “I wasn’t surprised on the outside,” Wallis says of the nomination, “but I was on the inside.”
The Performers Speak:
See a Compilation of Highlights from the 2013 Great Performers
More Portraits of the 2013 Great Performers by Paola Kudacki
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Where Trump 2.0 Will Differ From 1.0
- How Elon Musk Became a Kingmaker
- The Power—And Limits—of Peer Support
- The 100 Must-Read Books of 2024
- Column: If Optimism Feels Ridiculous Now, Try Hope
- The Future of Climate Action Is Trade Policy
- FX’s Say Nothing Is the Must-Watch Political Thriller of 2024
- Merle Bombardieri Is Helping People Make the Baby Decision
Contact us at letters@time.com