Mahershala Ali nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role for his role as Juan in Moonlight

Born Mahershalalhashbaz Gilmore in Oakland, California, Mahershala is fast becoming one of the freshest and most in-demand faces in Hollywood with his extraordinarily diverse skill set and wide-ranging background in film, television, and theater.  Ali received his bachelor of arts degree in mass communications from St. Mary’s College in Moraga, California.  The name “Mahershalalhashbaz” is from the Book of Isaiah (chapter 8, verse 3) in the Hebrew Bible. It is the longest proper name (ordered by God to be given to the newborn prophet’s son) that appears in the bible and is, in fact, a combination of four words: “Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz,” meaning “Hurry to the spoils!” or “He has made haste to the plunder!”  All is also a respected rapper in the hip hop community, having collaborated and performed with notable artists such as Talib Kweli, Planet Asia, Keith Murray, and others. He later received his MFA from NYU Tisch School of the Arts. As of 2017, has appeared in three films that were nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), Moonlight (2016) and Hidden Figures (2016).

Check out his Oscar nominated performance in the 2016 film “Moonlight.”

Naomie Harris nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role for her role as Paula in Moonlight

Born Naomie Melanie Harris on September 6, 1976  in London, Naomie is the only child of television scriptwriter Lisselle Kayla. Her father is from Jamaica and her mother is from Trinidad. She showed an interest in acting from an early age and attended the prestigious Anna Scher Theatre School. From here, Harris won roles in various projects, such as Simon and the Witch(1987) and The Tomorrow People (1992). She went on to study social and political sciences at Pembroke College, Cambridge University, an experience Harris did not enjoy.

After graduating from University, Harris trained at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. Acting success soon followed and her breakthrough film role came in Danny Boyle‘s 28 Days Later… (2002). Other notable projects include Miami Vice (2006) and Small Island (2009) (for which she was named best female actor by the Royal Television Society). Harris also won fans for her role as Tia Dalma in the blockbusting “Pirates of the Caribbean” films and further international attention came her way when she was cast as Field Agent Eve in the twenty third James Bond film, Skyfall (2012).  Naomie’s all-time favorite film is The Sound of Music (1965).  One of her favorite pastimes is experiencing sensory deprivation by spending regular periods in a flotation tank.  She is a self-confessed perfectionist and teetotaler who doesn’t drink coffee or smoke cigarettes.

Check out her Oscar nominated performance in the 2016 film “Moonlight.”

Denzel Washington nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role for his role as Troy Maxson in Fences

Born Denzel Hayes Washington, Jr. December 28, 1954 in Mount Vernon, New York is the middle of three children of a beautician mother, Lennis (Lowe), from Georgia, and a Pentecostal minister father, Denzel Washington, Sr., from Virginia. He has received three Golden Globe awards, a Tony Award, and two Academy Awards: Best Supporting Actor for the historical war drama film Glory (1989) and Best Actor for his role as a corrupt cop in the crime thriller Training Day (2001).

After graduating from high school, Denzel enrolled at Fordham University, intent on a career in journalism. However, he caught the acting bug while appearing in student drama productions and, upon graduation, he moved to San Francisco and enrolled at the American Conservatory Theater. He left A.C.T. after only one year to seek work as an actor. His first paid acting role was in a summer stock theater stage production in St. Mary’s City, Maryland.

Check out his Oscar nominated performance in the 2016 film “Fences.”

Viola Davis nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role for his role as Rose Maxson in Fences

Actress Viola Davis was born on August 11, 1965 on her grandmother’s farm, at the then-Singleton Plantation in St. Matthews, South Carolina. When she was two months old her family moved to Central Falls, Rhode Island, where her father, Dan Davis, worked as a horse groomer and trainer. Her mother, Mary Alice (Logan), a maid and factory worker, was also a civil rights activist. Davis was educated at Central Falls High School, where she developed a love of acting. She studied theater at Rhode Island College, and also attended the prestigious Juilliard School in New York City.

Davis made her screen debut with a small role as a nurse in 1996’s The Substance of Fire(1996). Guest spots followed in various TV shows and films, and in 2000 she won the role of Nurse Lynnette Peeler in City of Angels (2000). In 2001, Davis appeared on Broadway in the play, ‘King Hedley II’, for which she was awarded a Tony for Best Featured Actress in a Play.

Davis has worked with Steven Soderbergh on three projects – Traffic (2000), Solaris(2002) and Syriana (2005). Other projects include Far from Heaven (2002), Antwone Fisher (2002) and Disturbia (2007). In 2008, she played Mrs. Miller in Doubt (2008), for which she was nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar. In 2011, she won critical acclaim for her starring role as Aibileen Clark in the box-office hit The Help (2011).

Check out her Oscar nominated performance in the 2016 film “Fences.”

Ruth Negga nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role for his role as Mildred in Loving

Born January 7, 1982 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Ruth Negga was born on January 7, 1982 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. She was raised in Limerick, Ireland from the age of four. She is an actress, known for  World War Z (2013) and Warcraft: The Beginning (2016).

Octavia Spencer nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role for his role as Dorothy Vaughn in Hidden Figures

Octavia Lenora Spencer is a native of Montgomery, Alabama was born on May 25, 1970 in Montgomery, Alabama. She’s the sixth of seven siblings and holds a BS in Liberal Arts from Auburn University. A “closet” lover of acting, this practical Alabamian knew that she’d someday work in the film industry, but never dreamed it would be in front of the camera. In 1995, acclaimed director Joel Schumacher changed all that by giving her a small part opposite Sandra Bullock in the hit film A Time to Kill, and Spencer was on her way. In 1996, she teamed up with Bullock again in Bullock’s directorial debut of Making Sandwiches, a short film that premiered at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival.

Spencer made her stage debut in Los Angeles and originated the role of “LaSonia” (pronounced lasagna) in famed writer/director Del Shore’s, The Trials and Tribulations of a Trailer Trash Housewife, starring opposite veteran actors Beth Grant, Dale Dickey and David Steen (2003). The play garnered Spencer and her fellow cast mates critical acclaim and a bevy of awards. Since then, Spencer has continued to see success as an actor in both film and television, working alongside Hollywood’s elite. In February 2009, she was lauded by Los Angeles Times publication: The Envelope, for her brief but memorable performance in the Will Smith drama Seven Pounds.

Check out her Oscar nominated performance in the 2016 film “Hidden Figures” in the official movie trailer.