By Neia Balao
7:00am PDT, Mar 10, 2024
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Acting legend Meryl Streep made her Academy Awards debut when she was 29 back in 1979 — the year she scored her first Oscar nomination for her performance in "The Deer Hunter." She would go on to win the first of her three Academy Awards a year later for her work in "Kramer vs. Kramer."
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Angelina Jolie was 10 in 1986 when she attended the Oscars for the first time with dad Jon Voight, who was up for best actor for his work in "Runaway Train" that year. Fourteen years later, she won an Oscar for best supporting actress for her performance in "Girl, Interrupted."
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Julia Roberts made her Academy Awards debut in 1990 — the year she scored an Oscar nomination for best supporting actress for her performance in "Steel Magnolias." The "Pretty Woman" star would go on to win best actress in 2001 for "Erin Brockovich."
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Sylvester Stallone attended his first Academy Awards back in 1977. He won big that night, taking home the Oscars for best original screenplay and best actor for his work in "Rocky." In 2016, Sly scored a nomination for best supporting actor for his performance as the same well-intentioned former boxer in "Creed."
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A young Leonardo DiCaprio? Be still our hearts! Leo made his Academy Awards debut in 1994 when he was 19. In 2016, he finally took home an Oscar himself — best actor for his performance in "The Revenant" — after six nominations.
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Dakota Johnson is no stranger to the Academy Awards! When she was 10 — long before her own acting career took off — she attended the 2000 event with her mom, actress Melanie Griffith, and her then-stepdad, actor Antonio Banderas.
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Kate Winslet made her Oscars debut at the 68th Annual Academy Awards in 1996. The fresh-faced English actress hit the red carpet in a pink gown and fuchsia shawl, and if this silhouette doesn't scream '90s then we don't know what does! That year, the British star was nominated for best supporting actress for her performance in the film adaptation of Jane Austen's "Sense and Sensibility."
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Brad Pitt made his Academy Awards debut in 1992 with then-girlfriend Juliette Lewis, who was up for her best supporting actress for her performance in "Cape Fear" that year. (It was also her first time attending the Oscars.) Brad won his first Academy Award more than two decades later for producing "12 Years a Slave."
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Laura Dern was just 8 years old the first time she went to the Oscars: It was 1975 and her mother, Diane Ladd, was nominated for best supporting actress for her work in "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore."
Laura went on to score a few nominations of her own in the decades that followed: After earning nods for her work in 1992's "Rambling Rose" and 2015's "Wild," she won the Oscar for best supporting actress for her performance in "Marriage Story" in 2020 — and her mom as well as her own children were there to celebrate with her.
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Jennifer Lawrence made her Academy Awards debut at 20 in 2011. That year, the actress — who looked gorgeous in a bright red Calvin Klein gown — earned her first nod for best actress for her performance in "Winter's Bone."
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Claire Danes looked dreamy in teal when she made her Academy Awards debut in 1997. The young actress, who starred as Juliet Capulet in Baz Luhrmann's "Romeo + Juliet" the previous year, was 17 when she first attended the big award show.
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Cute! Co-stars Winona Ryder and Christian Slater made their Academy Awards debuts together in 1989 — just three days before their dark teen comedy "Heathers" opened in theaters. Winona has since earned two Oscar nods.
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After starring in both "Girl with a Pearl Earring" and "Lost in Translation" in the previous year, Scarlett Johansson had justifiably earned her invitation to the star-studded event. ScarJo made her Oscars debut at the 76th Annual Academy Awards in 2004 in a fitted green satin gown. In 2020, she finally became a nominee herself, scoring an almost unheard of two nods in the same year: best lead actress for her performance in "Marriage Story" and best supporting actress for her work in "Jojo Rabbit."
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In 2010 — just three months before "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse" debuted — a 19-year-old Kristen Stewart attended her first Academy Awards ceremony. Twelve years later, she scored her first nomination for her portrayal of the late Princess Diana in "Spencer."
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Charlize Theron stunned in tangerine as she made her Oscars debut at the 72nd Annual Academy Awards in 2000. That evening, she presented the trophy for best original score with Keanu Reeves. The South African star would go on to win the Academy Award for best actress in 2004 for her portrayal of serial killer Aileen Wuornos in "Monster."
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Reese Witherspoon stunned in a black lace-trimmed gown at her first Academy Awards ceremony in 2002 following the success of "Legally Blonde" the previous year. She won the Oscar for best actress for her performance in "Walk the Line" four years later.
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Penelope Cruz made her Academy Awards debut in 2005 in a stunning strapless yellow Oscar de la Renta gown. She won her first Oscar four years later for her work in "Vicky Cristina Barcelona."
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Nicole Kidman made her Academy Awards debut with then-husband Tom Cruise back in 1991. More than a decade later, in 2003, the Australian actress won her first Oscar for her performance in "The Hours."
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Julia Stiles made her Academy Awards debut in 2001 — just a few days shy of her 20th birthday. The "10 Things I Hate About You" actress stunned in a slinky silver Vera Wang gown.
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Lucy Liu looked like a total goddess in a red Versace gown when she made her Academy Awards debut in 2000 — the same year her blockbuster film "Charlie's Angels" hit theaters.
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In 2002, Kirsten Dunst made her first appearance at the Academy Awards in a pink sequined John Galliano gown. Twenty years later in 2022, she scored her first Oscar nomination: best supporting actress for her performance in "The Power of the Dog."
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A Canadian hunk with his biggest supporters! Ryan Gosling hit the red carpet at the 2007 Oscars with mom Donna and sister Mandi. He was up for best actor for his performance in "Half Nelson" that year.
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Saoirse Ronan made her Academy Awards debut at 14 in 2008 — the year she was nominated for best supporting actress for her performance in "Atonement." She's scored several more Oscar nominations since then.
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To say that 1998 was a good year for this duo would be an understatement. Best friends Matt Damon and Ben Affleck won big the first time they went to the Oscars: The duo took home the Academy Award for best original screenplay for "Good Will Hunting." Matt was also nominated for best actor for his performance in the film.
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Jennifer Lopez made her Academy Awards debut in 1997 looking like an Old Hollywood goddess in this glitzy gown. Her breakthrough film, "Selena," hit theaters just three days later.
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Viola Davis wore a gorgeous gold gown when she made her Academy Awards debut back in 2009. She was up for best supporting actress for her performance in "Doubt" that year. In 2017, she took home the Oscar for best supporting actress for her work in "Fences."
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Amy Adams made her Academy Awards debut in 2006. The star — who stunned in a chocolate Carolina Herrera confection — was up for best supporting actress for her performance in "Junebug" that year.
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Joaquin Phoenix made his Academy Awards debut in 2001 while up for best supporting actor for his work in "Gladiator." Nearly two decades later, he won his first Oscar for his performance in "Joker."
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Tom Hanks made his Academy Awards debut in 1987 — he presented an award with Bugs Bunny that night! He's won two Oscars since then: first in 1994 for his work in "Philadelphia" and then in 1995 for his performance in "Forrest Gump."
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Renee Zellweger looked stunning in a sultry satin gown while making her first appearance at the Oscars in 1999. She's won two Academy Awards since then for her work in "Cold Mountain" and "Judy."
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Natalie Portman made her first appearance at the Academy Awards in 2005 — the same year she was nominated for best supporting actress for her work in "Closer." Six years later, she won an Oscar for her performance in "Black Swan."
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Cate Blanchett made her Academy Awards debut in 1999, the same year she received her first Oscar nomination: best actress for "Elizabeth." She's won twice since then: best supporting actress for "The Aviator" and best lead actress for "Blue Jasmine."
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Margot Robbie made her Academy Awards debut in 2014 after delivering her breakthrough performance in Martin Scorsese's "The Wolf of Wall Street." The naturally blonde Australian actress was sporting dark brown hair for her role in "Z is for Zachariah" at the time. She's scored several Oscar nominations since then.
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Timothee Chalamet attended the Oscars for the first time in 2018 when he was up for best actor for his performance in "Call Me by Your Name." At 22, he was the youngest actor to be nominated in the category in nearly 80 years.
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Five-time nominee Michelle Williams made her Academy Awards debut at the 2006 Oscars when she was nominated for her performance in "Brokeback Mountain" alongside then-boyfriend Heath Ledger.
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Emma Stone made her Academy Awards debut back in 2012 when she presented the award for best visual effects with Ben Stiller. She received her invitation to the star-studded ceremony following the success of her 2011 film "Crazy, Stupid, Love." Five years later, she took home the Oscar for best actress for her performance in "La La Land."
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Jessica Chastain made her first appearance at the Academy Awards in 2012 — the year she was nominated for best supporting actress for her performance in "The Help." A decade later, she won her first Oscar for her work in "The Eyes of Tammy Faye."
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Actress-filmmaker Greta Gerwig made her Academy Awards debut in 2018 when she was nominated for two Oscars: best director and best original screenplay for her coming-of-age film "Lady Bird."
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Adam Driver attended the Oscars for the first time in 2019 with wife Joanne Tucker by his side. The former "Girls" star was up for best supporting actor for his work in Spike Lee's "BlacKkKlansman" that year. He scored another nod a year later for his work in "Marriage Story."
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Andrew Garfield attended the Academy Awards for the first time in 2011 following the success of "The Social Network," in which he starred. More than a decade later, in 2022, he earned his first Oscar nomination for starring as Jonathan Larson in "Tick, Tick… Boom!"
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Actor-filmmaker Jordan Peele made more than his Academy Awards debut in 2018 — he also made history that evening when he took home the Oscar for best original screenplay for "Get Out," making him the first Black writer to win in that category.
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Daniel Kaluuya is another Hollywood star who made his Academy Awards debut in 2018 — the year he scored a nomination for best actor for his performance in Jordan Peele's "Get Out."
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Alicia Vikander made her Academy Awards debut in 2013. She opted for an elegant Elie Saab confection that evening.
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Benedict Cumberbatch made his Academy Awards debut in 2014. He's since scored Oscar nominations for his work in "The Imitation Game" and "The Power of the Dog."
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Lupita Nyong'o made her Academy Awards debut in 2014 in an ethereal light blue gown. She also snagged her first Oscar that night, taking home the prize for best supporting actress for her work in "12 Years a Slave."
