It is a big moment for an actor to make their debut in a feature film. It’s even bigger for those lucky few who received critical praise for their debut. Quite a handful of actors and even some non-actors have received Oscar nominations for their debut films. Some of them even ended up walking home with that lofty gold statuette for their first ever performances on screen. The actors listed below were all nominated for Oscars, or won the Oscar for their feature film debut. Some of them may have worked in TV or theater beforehand or had no acting experience whatsoever, but the first time they appeared on that silver screen, they blew us away with some incredible, memorable performances.
6Orson Welles - Citizen Kane (1941)
Surprising as it may seem,Citizen Kanewas indeedOrson Welles' acting debut in feature films. Before that, Welles primarily worked in theater and radio before signing a contact with RKO Pictures in 1939. Not a bad choice to debut in a film that has been ranked asthe best American film ever made. What’s even more impressive is how young Welles was. He would turn 26 a week after the film premiered. Welles' Charles Foster Kane is ambitious, arrogant, and ends up dying alone in his mansion. Every aspect of this man,rumored to be based on legendary newspaper tycoon, William Randolph Hearst, is played to perfection by Welles. Hearst launched a smear campaign against the film, resulting in it only winning one Oscar, for its screenplay. Welles' nominated performance lost to Gary Cooper forSergeant York. At least Welles (alongside Herman J. Mankiewicz) still won the screenplay Oscar.
Related:The Best Orson Welles Films, Ranked
5Lily Tomlin - Nashville (1975)
Lily Tomlinbegan her career as a stand-up comedian and wouldn’t make her feature film debut until 1975, when she appeared inRobert Altman’sNashville.The film itself was a critical success, earning a Best Picture nomination in arguably the best Best Picture line-up in Academy Awards' history. Tomlin, alongside co-star Ronee Blakley, were both nominated for the Best Supporting Actress Oscar, but both lost to Lee Grant forShampoo. Tomlin’s performance in this film is incredible, and she doesn’t even speak a single word in one of her best scenes, when she watches Keith Carradine sing the Oscar-winning song, “I’m Easy.” Fantastic work and well-deserving of not only an Oscar nomination, but a win.
4Eva Marie Saint - On The Waterfront (1954)
Eva Marie Saintgot her start in TV and radio before making her film debut in the Best Picture-winning masterpiece,On The Waterfront. Saint plays Edie Doyle, the sister of a dock worker killed on the orders of a corrupt union boss, Johnny Friendly (Lee J. Cobb). Saint would win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her performance, as would co-starMarlon Brando for his iconic performance. Saint’s grief and anger when she demands to know who killed her brother are done perfectly; her romantic scenes with Brando are equally perfect. This is a magnificent performance that rightfully won an Oscar.
3Oprah Winfrey - The Color Purple (1985)
At this point, everyone knowsOprah Winfrey. She hosted one of the most popular talk shows of all time from 1986-2011 and launched theOprah Winfrey Networkin 2011. She got her start hosting various talk shows in cities like Nashville, Baltimore, and Chicago, and made her feature film debut in 1985’sThe Color Purple.Based onAlice Walker’s book of the same name, the film would receive 11 Oscar nominations, including one for Oprah’s incredible performance. Sadly, the film would lose all 11 of its nominations, with Oprah and nominated co-star Margaret Avery losing the Best Supporting Actress Oscar to Anjelica Huston forPrizzi’s Honor. Honestly, that Oscar should have gone to Oprah. Her Sofia has struggled greatly in life and all of it is portrayed to perfection by Oprah. However, the events of the film do eventually break Sofia’s fighting spirit, and it’s heartbreaking to watch. A wonderful performance.
2Julie Andrews - Mary Poppins (1964)
Funny story. The yearJulie Andrewswon Best Actress forMary Poppinswas also the yearMy Fair Ladywon Best Picture. Eliza Doolittle, the female lead of that movie, wasplayed by Audrey Hepburn, who had her singing dubbed. On stage, however, Eliza was played by… Julie Andrews! Producer Jack Warner wanted a big name to boost box office sales, so he went with Hepburn, thus freeing Andrews to star in this little movie Walt Disney was doing about a magical nanny named Mary Poppins. Andrews, who does all of her own singing, is fantastic. Is the song a silly one, like “Supercalifragilistiexpialidocious?” Andrews nails it. Is it a more serious and somber number, like “Feed the Birds?” Andrews nails that, too. Of course, singing is only half the battle in a musical performance, and luckily Andrews' acting is just as amazing as her iconic singing voice. Andrews is one of the few actors to receive an acting nomination for a children’s movie, but when the performance is as good as this one, it’s impossible to deny the accolades.
Related:7 Best Performances From First-Time Actors, Ranked
1Haing S. Ngor- The Killing Fields
One of two non-professional actors to win an acting Oscar (Harold Russell forThe Best Years of Our Lives),Dr. Haing S. Ngorwon an incredibly deserved Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his magnificent performance inThe Killing Fields. The titular Killing Fields refers to the fields of Cambodia where the Khmer Rouge murdered almost two million people, something Ngor and Dith Pran, the character Ngor plays, actually had to survive. If you watched this film for the first time and were told that this was Ngor’s acting debut, you’d assume you’re being lied to. Ngor shows no hint of amateurism or inexperience. Every action, every emotion, is so perfectly real. The friendship Pran forms with fellow nominee Sam Waterston’s Sydney Schanberg feels so genuine, and it’s part of why the second half of the film is so heartbreaking when Pran is left behind in Cambodia while Schanberg returns to New York. A magnificent performance by Ngor, this is easily one of the top ten wins for Best Supporting Actor in the Academy Awards' almost century-long history.
