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
- The 100 Most Influential People of 2024
- The Revolution of Yulia Navalnaya
- 6 Compliments That Land Every Time
- What's the Deal With the Bitcoin Halving?
- If You're Dating Right Now , You're Brave: Column
- The AI That Could Heal a Divided Internet
- Fallout Is a Brilliant Model for the Future of Video Game Adaptations
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time
Contact us at letters@time.com