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Fascinating Oscar facts – 94th Oscars®

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22 March 2022
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Oscars®

Images: Getty Images

On Monday, 28 March 2022 the 94th Academy Awards will honour movies released in 2021 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. But before we make our predictions, here’s a look at some interesting Oscar facts.

  1. The Oscar statuette weighs 3.8 kg, is 34.2 cm in height and is made from gold-plated britannium. However, between 1942 and the end of World War II, these statuettes were made of plaster to conserve metal. Winners only received the gold trophy after the war.
     
  2. Oscar winners don’t own their statues per se. Upon being presented with the trophy, winners must sign an agreement stating that should they wish to sell their statuettes, they must first offer them to the Academy for $1. If they refuse, they cannot keep their trophy.
     
  3. The record for shortest acceptance speech is shared by renowned director Alfred Hitchcock, and actor William Holden. Both just said: “Thank you.”
     
  4. Christopher Plummer is the oldest actor to be nominated for an Oscar at the age of 88. He was nominated in 2018 in the category “Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role” in All the Money in the World.
     
  5. At age 83, Anthony Hopkins became the oldest winner of an Oscar in 2021 for his role in The Father.
     
  6. Kathryn Bigelow became the first woman to win the Oscar for Best Director in 2010 for The Hurt Locker. Kathryn beat her ex-husband, James Cameron, who was up for the same award for Avatar.
     
  7. The actor with the most Oscar wins is Katharine Hepburn who won four Best Actress during her career
     
  8. The youngest Oscar winner ever is actress Tatum O’Neal, who won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in the film Paper Moon. She was only ten.
     
  9. Jack Nicholson is the most-nominated male actor, having received 12 Oscar nominations.
     
  10. The oldest female nominee is Gloria Stuart. She was nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role at the age of 87 for her role as old Rose in James Cameron’s Titanic.
     
  11. The youngest nominee in Oscar history is Justin Henry.He received an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his debut role in the 1979 film Kramer vs. Kramer.
     
  12. Walt Disney has won more Oscars than anyone else. He was nominated for 64 awards and won 26.
     
  13. The first Academy Award was presented in 1929 at a private dinner with about 270 guests. And it was televised for the first time in 1953.
     
  14. Peter Finch and Heath Ledger are the only actors awarded with Oscars posthumously.
     
  15. Jennifer Lawrence wore the most expensive dress in Oscar history at the 85th Academy Awards. In 2013, she attended the Oscars in a Dior Couture creation valued at $4 million. Her infamous tripping incident was a blessing in disguise for Dior, as it gave the dress extended air time.
Oscar winners don't own their statues per se. Upon being presented with the trophy, winners must sign an agreement stating that should they wish to sell their statuettes, they must first offer them to the Academy for $1. If they refuse, they cannot keep their trophy.
The record for shortest acceptance speech is shared by renowned director Alfred Hitchcock, and actor William Holden. Both just said: “Thank you.”
Kathryn Bigelow became the first woman to win the Oscar for Best Director in 2010 for “The Hurt Locker”. Kathryn beat her ex-husband, James Cameron, who was up for the same award for “Avatar”.
The youngest Oscar winner ever is actress Tatum O’Neal, who won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in the film “Paper Moon”. She was only ten.
Jack Nicholson is the most-nominated male actor, having received 12 Oscar nominations.
The oldest female nominee is Gloria Stuart.
She was nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role at the age of 87 for her role as old Rose in James Cameron’s “Titanic”.
The youngest nominee in Oscar history is Justin Henry.
He received an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his debut role in the 1979 film “Kramer vs. Kramer”.
Walt Disney has won more Oscars than anyone else. He was nominated for 64 awards, and won 26.
The first Academy Award were presented in 1929 at a private dinner with about 270 guests. And it was televised for the first time in 1953.
Peter Finch and Heath Ledger are the only actors awarded with Oscars posthumously.
Jennifer Lawrence wore the most expensive dress in Oscar history at the 85th Academy Awards. In 2013, she attended the Oscars in a Dior Couture creation valued at $4 million.
Her infamous tripping incident was a blessing in disguise for Dior, as it gave the dress extended air time.
Gallery
Oscar winners don't own their statues per se. Upon being presented with the trophy, winners must sign an agreement stating that should they wish to sell their statuettes, they must first offer them to the Academy for $1. If they r...

Tune in for the Oscars: live on Monday 28 March at 03:00 on M-Net Movies 1 channel 104 or later that day at 21:30 on M-Net channel 101.
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