Barely Legal: Quvenzhané Wallis And The Youngest Oscar Nominees Of All-Time

By Emily Exton

February 22, 2013 / 4:49 PM

Oscar weekend is upon us, which means you're running out of time to stock up on important trivia you can impress a room full of people with on Sunday night. Because we're always looking out for you here at VH1, we thought we'd reacquaint you with some of the biggest overachievers in the biz: a selection of actors and actresses who have earned a coveted Oscar nomination long before they could order their first legal drink.

Youngest Oscar Nominees

In honor of Beasts of the Southern Wild breakout star Quvenzhané Wallis, take a look at the accomplished collection of underage actors and actresses who've walked the Oscar carpet (and in some cases, took home a golden statue) long before their 21st birthday.

Everyone remembers Anna Paquin's bright blue beret and a pint-sized Tatum O'Neal wearing a tuxedo--making headlines, even at 10!--but did you recall that Leonardo DiCaprio's first Oscar nomination came when he was 19, years before Titanic, at a time when the Growing Pains theme song wasn't too much of a distant memory? The first time wasn't a charm for Leo, and sadly, he's gone 0 for 2 since What's Eating Gilbert Grape made him a red carpet fixture. Our girl Jennifer Lawrence has done more than enough to prove that her nomination for Winter's Bone wasn't a fluke; she'll get a second shot at taking home the Best Actress award on Sunday, facing off against Jessica Chastain in an Oscar matchup we've been dreaming about for weeks.

Whether or not these young nominees went on to sustain a lifetime of box office success and critical acclaim, they've all done an excellent job of showing us up when it comes to fulfilling the requirements of a "black tie" dress code. Bravo.

Don't forget to tune in for our Oscars red carpet live stream Sunday at 5:30 p.m. ET on VH1.com.

Stick with us for everything about the 2013 Oscars including our Oscar winners list, predictions and full fashion coverage!

[Photos: Getty Images]