Also Nominated: Cher, Glenn Close, Amy Irving, Alfre Woodard<\/b><\/p>
A well known stage actress, just two years into her movie career Hunt found herself becoming the second person to win an Oscar for playing a member of the opposite sex in a big screen role. You might recognise her as the hard-ass headmistress in Kindergarten Cop.<\/p>","url":"2009/2/18/The-Year-Of-Living-Dangerously-03.jpg","width":570,"height":364,"alt":"The Year Of Living Dangerously 03"},{"captionHeading":"1984 - Peggy Ashcroft in A Passage To India","caption":"
Also Nominated: Glenn Close, Lindsay Crouse, Christine Lahti, Geraldine Page <\/b><\/p>
Croydon-born Ashcroft is, to this day, the oldest recipient of the Best Supporting Actress award. Her friend, Angela 'Murder She Wrote' Lansbury received the award on her behalf.<\/p>","url":"2009/2/18/A-Passage-To-India-05.jpg","width":570,"height":364,"alt":"A Passage To India 05"},{"captionHeading":"1985 - Anjelica Huston in Prizzi's Honor","caption":"
Also Nominated: Margaret Avery, Amy Madigan, Meg Tilly, Oprah Winfrey<\/b><\/p>
The daughter of acting/ directing legend John Huston, Anjelica was the first desendant of a previous Oscar winner to pick up an award for themselves.<\/p>","url":"2009/2/18/Prizzis-Honour-11.jpg","width":570,"height":364,"alt":"Prizzi's Honour 11"},{"captionHeading":"1986 - Dianne Weist in Hannah And Her Sisters","caption":"
Also Nominated: Tess Harper, Piper Laurie, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Maggie Smith<\/b><\/p>
The films of Woody Allen all but made Dianne Wiest into the actress she became although she's probably now more recognisable for mainstream movies like The Lost Boys and Parenthood, which earnt her another nomination.<\/p>","url":"2009/2/13/Hannah-and-Her-Sisters-10-4.jpg","width":570,"height":364,"alt":"Hannah and Her Sisters 10"},{"captionHeading":"1987 - Olympia Dukakis in Moonstruck","caption":"
Also Nominated: Norma Aleandro, Anne Archer, Anne Ramsey, Ann Sothern<\/b> <\/p>
An incredible mix of movies garner Dukakis' C.V., from Death Wish to Mr Holland's Opus - but just one earned her Academy recognition - Moonstruck, the romcom that sent Cher into superstardom.<\/p>","url":"2009/2/18/Moonstruck-04.jpg","width":570,"height":364,"alt":"Moonstruck 04"},{"captionHeading":"1988 - Geena Davis in The Accidental Tourist","caption":"
Also Nominated: Joan Cusack, Frances McDormand, Michelle Pfeiffer, Sigourney Weaver<\/b> <\/p>
Before making her name as the Grand Canyon-jumping man-hater in Thelma & Louise, Geena Davis took the plaudits for her part in the (bloody boring - Ed) William Hurt drama, The Accidental Tourist.<\/p>","url":"2009/2/18/The-Accidental-Tourist-01.jpg","width":570,"height":364,"alt":"The Accidental Tourist 01"},{"captionHeading":"1989 - Brenda Fricker in My Left Foot","caption":"
Also Nominated: Anjelica Huston, Lena Olin, Julia Roberts, Dianne Wiest<\/b><\/p>
That's right, TV drama Casualty is not the highlight of every British acting career. Fricker went on to star in Home Alone 2: Lost In New York, which probably runs a close second to winning the Best Supporting Actress award for her part as Daniel Day Lewis' mother in My Left Foot.<\/p>","url":"2009/2/18/My-Left-Foot-07.jpg","width":570,"height":364,"alt":"My Left Foot 07"},{"captionHeading":"1990 - Whoopi Goldberg in Ghost","caption":"
Also Nominated: Annette Bening, Lorraine Bracco, Diane Ladd, Mary McDonnell <\/b><\/p>
One of the nicest surprise choices of all time, Whoopi's wonderfully O.T.T. performance as the clairvoyant who helps bring Patrick Swayze's dead Sam Wheat back into contact with heartbroken Demi Moore in romantic thriller Ghost was a major part in the movie's astonishing success.<\/p>","url":"2009/2/18/Ghost-04.jpg","width":570,"height":364,"alt":"Ghost 04"},{"captionHeading":"1991 - Mercedes Ruehl in The Fisher King","caption":"
Also Nominated: Diane Ladd, Juliette Lewis, Kate Nelligan, Jessica Tandy<\/b><\/p>
The daughter of an FBI agent, Ruehl spent much of her career lapping up the plaudits for her stage work. But in 1991 she went global when she took the Supporting Actress award for her part in Terry Gilliam's slight odd, The Fisher King.<\/p>","url":"2009/2/18/The-Fisher-King-05.jpg","width":570,"height":364,"alt":"The Fisher King 05"},{"captionHeading":"1992 - Maris Tomei in My Cousin Vinny","caption":"
Also Nominated: Judy Davis, Joan Plowright, Vanessa Redgrave, Miranda Richardson<\/b><\/p>
My Cousin Vinny probably didn't come across as much of an awards-grabbing script, and certainly didn't appear to be much more when it hit cinemas. Yet something about Marisa Tomei's shouty turn as Joe Pesci's mob lawyer girlfriend grabbed the attention, enough so to see the New York actress take the award ahead of some very fine company.<\/p>","url":"2009/2/18/My-Cousin-Vinny-02.jpg","width":570,"height":364,"alt":"My Cousin Vinny 02"},{"captionHeading":"1993 - Anna Paquin in The Piano","caption":"
Also Nominated: Holly Hunter, Rosie Perez, Winona Ryder, Emma Thompson<\/b><\/p>
It seemed to make sense at the time, but in hindsight The Piano is up there with the most boring Oscar winners of all time. Quite if the Academy would award such a movie in present times remains to be seen, but Anna Paquin most certainly would expect to get nommed for this performance, even if, at 11, she was the youngest winner of all time.<\/p>","url":"2009/2/18/The-Piano-03.jpg","width":570,"height":364,"alt":"The Piano 03"},{"captionHeading":"1994 - Dianne Wiest in Bullets Over Broadway","caption":"
Also Nominated: Rosemary Harris, Helen Mirren, Uma Thurman, Jennifer Tilly<\/b><\/p>
Wiest came back for her second Oscar after playing neurotic stage star, Helen Sinclair, in Woody Allen's Bullets Over Broadway.<\/p>","url":"2009/2/18/Bullets-Over-Broadway-09.jpg","width":570,"height":364,"alt":"Bullets Over Broadway 09"},{"captionHeading":"1995 - Mira Sorvino in Mighty Aphrodite ","caption":"
Also Nominated: Joan Allen, Kathleen Quinlan, Mare Winningham, Kate Winslet<\/b> <\/p>
Perhaps it's the way he writes, or maybe the way he deals with women, but Woody Allen knows how to get women Oscars. Mira Sorvino, the daughter of Goodfellas' Paulie, was a surprise choice in 1995 when she beat Kate 'Titanic' Winslet to the prize.<\/p>","url":"2009/2/18/Mighty-Aphrodite-02.jpg","width":570,"height":364,"alt":"Mighty Aphrodite 02"},{"captionHeading":"1996 - Juliette Binoche in The English Patient","caption":"
Also Nominated: Joan Allen, Lauren Bacall, Barbara Hershey, Serena Merle, Marianne Jean-Baptiste<\/b> <\/p>
The English Patient was immensely popular in both the UK and the US, winning nine Oscars - including Best Picture - at the 1996 awards. Juliette Binoche was the only member of the cast to be celebrated by the Academy.<\/p>","url":"2009/2/18/The-English-Patient-13.jpg","width":570,"height":364,"alt":"The English Patient 13"},{"captionHeading":"1997 - Kim Basinger in L.A. Confidential","caption":"
Also Nominated: Joan Cusack, Minnie Driver, Julianne Moore, Gloria Stuart<\/b> <\/p>
Kim Basinger's fanclub would have felt this award long overdue. Fortunately for them, the beautifully crafted L.A. Confidential was the perfect vehicle in which to showcase the former Bond girl and Playboy cover star as a serious actress, and it worked.<\/p>","url":"2009/2/18/LA-Confidential-15.jpg","width":570,"height":364,"alt":"LA Confidential 15"},{"captionHeading":"1998 - Judi Dench in Shakespeare In Love","caption":"
Also Nominated: Kathy Bates, Brenda Blethyn, Rachel Griffiths, Lynn Redgrave<\/b> <\/p>
Dame Judi can win an Oscar for reading the Yellow Pages if she wishes. While nobody would begrudge her a statuette, it was a little odd that she took one for her incredibly brief appearance in the stupidly overrated Shaekspeare in Love. \"I feel for eight minutes on the screen, I should only get a little bit of him,\" she later explained.<\/p>","url":"2009/2/10/Shakespeare-In-Love-16-4.jpg","width":570,"height":364,"alt":"Shakespeare In Love 16"},{"captionHeading":"1999 - Angelina Jolie in Girl, Interrupted","caption":"
Also Nominated: Toni Collette, Catherine Keener, Samantha Morton, Chloë Sevigny<\/b> <\/p>
She may now be one half of Hollywood's Hottest Couple, but beneath the beauty lies a very talented actress, who can offer more than a pair of bosoms to a computer game role. Girl, Interrupted should have been perfect for Hollywood darling Winona Ryder to make her way back into the fold. But Jolie took all the attention.<\/p>","url":"2009/2/18/Girl-Interrupted-54.jpg","width":570,"height":364,"alt":"Girl, Interrupted 54"},{"captionHeading":"2000 - Marcia Gay Harden in Pollock","caption":"
Also Nominated: Judi Dench, Kate Hudson, Frances McDormand, Julie Walters<\/b><\/p>
When Ed Harris directed and starred in the life story of painter Jackson Pollock, he might have been forgiven for thinking he was going to become a darling of the critics. But it was Marcia Gay Harden who took an Oscar home for her portrayal of Pollock's wife, Lee Krasner, while Harris had to make do with just a nomination.<\/p>","url":"2009/2/18/Pollock-12.jpg","width":570,"height":364,"alt":"Pollock 12"},{"captionHeading":"2001 - Jennifer Connelly in A Beautiful Mind","caption":"
Also Nominated: Helen Mirren, Maggie Smith, Marisa Tomei, Kate Winslet<\/b><\/p>
Ron Howard's film of math genius John Nash's life took the Best Picture and Director awards, but Connelly was the only acting talent to pick up an Oscar, ahead of Russell Crowe (who had to make do with a nomination) in the lead role, and her husband Paul Bettany, whom she met on set.<\/p>","url":"2009/2/10/A-Beautiful-Mind-6.jpg","width":570,"height":364,"alt":"A Beautiful Mind"},{"captionHeading":"2002 - Catherine Zeta-Jones in Chicago","caption":"
Also Nominated: Kathy Bates, Julianne Moore, Queen Latifah, Meryl Streep<\/b> <\/p>
A rare success of a musical in the modern Oscars, Chicago was the Best Picture of 2002, and Zeta-Jones put in the stand out performance, insisting on wearing her hair in a short bob to help convince the audience that she did indeed do all her own singing and dancing.<\/p>","url":"2009/2/10/Chicago-24-4.jpg","width":570,"height":364,"alt":"Chicago 24"},{"captionHeading":"2003 - Renee Zellweger in Cold Mountain","caption":"
Also Nominated: Shohreh Aghdashloo, Patricia Clarkson, Marcia Gay Harden, Holly Hunter<\/b> <\/p>
Seven nominations made Cold Mountain a decent bet for success, but it wasn't to be as The Lord Of The Rings: Return Of The King swept up most of the statuettes. Only Renee Zelwegger's name ended up in a golden envelope, staving off competition from, in particular, Holly Hunter in Thirteen, and Marcia Gay Harden in the Clint Eastwood drama, Mystic River.<\/p>","url":"2009/2/18/Cold-Mountain-33.jpg","width":570,"height":364,"alt":"Cold Mountain 33"},{"captionHeading":"2004 - Cate Blanchett in The Aviator","caption":"
Also Nominated: Laura Linney, Virginia Madsen, Sophie Okonedo, Natalie Portman<\/b> <\/p>
As Katherine Hepburn in Scorsese's Howard Huges biopic, The Aviator, Cate Blanchett became the first person to win an award while playing a previous recipient of an Oscar.<\/p>","url":"2009/2/18/The-Aviator-50.jpg","width":570,"height":364,"alt":"The Aviator 50"},{"captionHeading":"2005 - Rachel Weisz in The Constant Gardener","caption":"
Also Nominated: Amy Adams, Catherine Keener, Frances McDormand, Michelle Williams<\/b> <\/p>
The Constant Gardener somehow managed to avoid nominations in all the major catergories bar this, as the likes of Capote, Crash and Brokeback Mountain found success. Rachel Weisz, however, thoroughly deserved the award for her part as Ralph Fiennes' murdered activist wife.<\/p>","url":"2009/2/18/The-Constant-Gardener-10.jpg","width":570,"height":364,"alt":"The Constant Gardener 10"},{"captionHeading":"2006 - Jennifer Hudson in Dreamgirls","caption":"
Also Nominated: Adriana Barraza, Cate Blanchett, Abigail Breslin, Rinko Kikuchi<\/b> <\/p>
The R&B singer knew she had a shot at glory when she took on the coveted part of Effie White in musical drama, Dreamgirls. As the eighth-youngest recipient of the award, it was all the more surprising because it was her first ever on-screen role.<\/p>","url":"2009/2/18/Dreamgirls-43.jpg","width":570,"height":364,"alt":"Dreamgirls 43"},{"captionHeading":"2007 - Tilda Swinton in Michael Clayton","caption":"
Also Nominated: Cate Blanchett, Ruby Dee, Saoirse Ronan, Amy Ryan <\/b> <\/p>
Swinton's sole Oscar win (and nomination) came for playing the uptight lawyer-under-pressure in the highly-rated Michael Clayton. Surprisingly, given the film received six other nominations, she was the only member of the cast and crew to win.<\/p>","url":"2009/2/18/Michael-Clayton-07.jpg","width":570,"height":364,"alt":"Michael Clayton 07"}];