Best Supporting Actress Oscar Trivia

The History of the Best Supporting Actress Oscar

The Best Supporting Actress category was introduced at the 9th Academy Awards in 1937, when Gale Sondergaard won for Anthony Adverse. Since then, the category has become famous for crowning performances that steal entire films — sometimes in just a handful of minutes on screen. From Judi Dench's eight-minute Queen Elizabeth to Beatrice Straight's five-minute breakdown in Network, Supporting Actress has proven that screen time is no measure of impact.

The category holds the distinction of producing the youngest Oscar winner in any acting category: Tatum O'Neal, who won at just 10 years old for Paper Moon (1973). Anna Paquin followed as the second-youngest at 11 for The Piano (1993), making Supporting Actress the category most likely to reward young performers. At the other end of the spectrum, the category has also celebrated career-defining late-career performances from the likes of Judi Dench and Allison Janney.

Supporting Actress nominees often face the challenge of making an indelible impression with limited screen time. Judi Dench's win for Shakespeare in Love — reportedly for just 8 minutes on screen as Queen Elizabeth I — remains one of the most discussed examples. Yet many winners have used those brief appearances to deliver some of the most quoted and remembered performances in film history, from Lupita Nyong'o's devastating work in 12 Years a Slave to Allison Janney's razor-sharp turn in I, Tonya.

Ready to test your knowledge? Try our quiz above, then explore the full history of every nominee and winner in the Wrong Envelope database.

Best Supporting Actress by the Numbers

Record Holders — Shelley Winters won the Supporting Actress Oscar twice — for The Diary of Anne Frank (1959) and A Patch of Blue (1965). Dianne Wiest also won twice, for Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) and Bullets over Broadway (1994). These four wins tie the record for most in the category.

Surprises and Snubs — Thelma Ritter holds the unenviable record of six Supporting Actress nominations without a single win, making her one of the most snubbed performers in Oscar history. The category has also produced some of the ceremony's biggest shocks — Marisa Tomei's upset win for My Cousin Vinny (1992) was so unexpected that an urban legend persists (incorrectly) that presenter Jack Palance read the wrong name.

Milestones and Firsts — Hattie McDaniel became the first Black Oscar winner in any category when she won Supporting Actress for Gone with the Wind (1939), a landmark moment that occurred under the shadow of segregation — McDaniel was seated at a separate table from her castmates at the ceremony. The category continues to be a space where breakthrough performances are recognized, from newcomers to veterans finally getting their due.