Tonys and child actors
Tonys and child actors
theatrepepper
Swing Joined: 5/22/05
#0Tonys and child actors
Posted: 6/12/05 at 3:24amI was just wonder what all of you thought about this. Do you think it's possible for child actor to win BEST ACTOR or BEST ACTRESS in a straight play or a musical. Only one comes to mind who has been even nominated for this award and that's Andre McArdle. The reason why I am asking is because I am listening to The Secret Garden and it occur to me that the role of Mary Lennox is the lead. Not supporting. I mean the show is about her. I know Daisy won for Best Supporting Actress but I think she should have been nominated for Lead. The same goes with the Oscars. Just a thought I wanted to get by.
#1re: Tonys and child actors
Posted: 6/12/05 at 10:17am
hey I have a book about this! I think there were 4 children who actually have won a Tony award, and I do thikn there was a lead in there, I'll go check and correct myself if I'm wrong
As for Oscars, there have been a lot of nominations for children, no wins I don't think though.
And do I think children could or should win leads for Oscars and Tonys? Depends. I just don't think that would be easy as competition gets harder and talent gets bigger- in adults. I guess I'm so-so on the matter, but the kid would have to be amazingly, incredibly, stupendously talented otherwise no.
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bdwybelle
Broadway Star Joined: 11/2/04
#2re: Tonys and child actors
Posted: 6/12/05 at 10:27amThat's really interesting that you ask that. Didn't Anna Paquin win for The Piano when she was 11?
#3re: Tonys and child actors
Posted: 6/12/05 at 10:30amdid she win? I was under the impression that she ws nominated but didn't win.... I could be wrong though. I'll go look on the website!
"It's a great feeling of power to be naked in front of people. We're happy to watch actual incredible graphic violence and gore, but as soon as somebody's naked it seems like the public goes a bit bananas about the whole thing."
#4re: Tonys and child actors
Posted: 6/12/05 at 10:35amthe youngest person to win was the little girl from secret garden, i think she was 12 at the time
Stop worrying if your vision is new.
Let others make that decision-
They usually do.
You keep moving on.
Anything you do,
Let it come from you.
Then it will be new.
Give us more to see...
~Sunday In the Park with George
#5re: Tonys and child actors
Posted: 6/12/05 at 10:37amIt was actually the little boy from Mame, who was 10. Daisy Eagen was 11.
bdwybelle
Broadway Star Joined: 11/2/04
#6re: Tonys and child actors
Posted: 6/12/05 at 10:44am
Yes Anna Paquin did win...
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001593/bio
#7re: Tonys and child actors
Posted: 6/12/05 at 10:45ambut those are all for supporting. Children may have been nominated for Lead, but I don't think any have won.
~And let us try, before we die, to make some sense of life~
joeybiltmore1
Leading Actor Joined: 2/22/05
#8re: Tonys and child actors
Posted: 6/12/05 at 10:54am
Tatum O'Neal won an Oscar for her role in PAPER MOON in 1973. She was 8 when they filmed it and 9 when she won I believe. It is the largest role in the film and definitely the lead, but the award was for supporting. It is also a terrific film and is not to be missed!
Sometimes studios or producers of Broadway shows try to get their actors placed in the category where they will be most likely to win as opposed to what category accurately reflects the size of the role.
#9re: Tonys and child actors
Posted: 6/12/05 at 11:00amPatty Duke won an Oscar for The Miracle Worker when she was 14 or 15. That was also in the supporting category. Oddly, she was not even nominated for a Tony for the role.
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JenD512
Stand-by Joined: 4/14/05
#10re: Tonys and child actors
Posted: 6/12/05 at 12:04pm
Daisy Eagan won whe she was 11 (funniest Tony speech ever). I remember a lot of the thinking at the time was that she was moved to 'Best Featured' because Lea Salonga was certain to win Best Actress for "Miss Saigon."
Anna Paquin did win for "The Piano" when she was 11. The youngest 'Best Supporting' was for Tatum O'Neal at 10 in "Paper Moon." However, the youngest nominee was Justin Henry for "Kramer vs. Kramer." He was only 8.
The youngest Best Actress nominee was Keisha Castle Hughes for "Whale Rider" last year. She was 13. She also has a very brief appearance as the Naboo queen at the end of "Star Wars Episode III."
Funny thing about the Patty Duke win--Sean Astin (her son) was a guest on 'Real Time With Bill Maher' on HBO last year, and when Bill was going off on Keisha's nomination and how kids don't deserve these awards, Sean reminded him that his mother won an Oscar when she was 14. Bill Maher barked "I know! That's why I put this in there!" when he clearly didn't realize it.
And I'm still bummed that Mitchell David Federan wasn't nominated for "The Boy From Oz" last year.
#11re: Tonys and child actors
Posted: 6/12/05 at 12:21pmA child will not win for a lead, because (and I just found this out in a previous thread, and from fellow co-workers) according to the Tony's way of nominating, if you're name is above the title, you are a "lead", if it is below the title, you are "featured", and no child actor is big enough to have their name above the title.
"Do you know what pledge time is, Andrew"? said the PBS Executive.
"Yes", Lloyd Webber replied. "My 50th birthday special must be one program that gets done a lot."
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Spoons, forks and knives seemed suddenly to suspend their motion in horror, all around the table.
#12re: Tonys and child actors
Posted: 6/12/05 at 1:05pmSome other child actor nominees for the Academy Awards(all the winners were mentioned) were Mary Badham(think that's how spell it) for To Kill a Mockingbird n 1962, she actually lost to Patty Duke, and the little girl who played Lucy in 1977's The Goodbye Girl, I think her name is Quinn Collins, but I'm not for sure. Haley Joe Osmet for 1999's The Sixth Sense......
joeybiltmore1
Leading Actor Joined: 2/22/05
#13re: Tonys and child actors
Posted: 6/12/05 at 1:45pmOther kid Oscar nominees: Quinn Cummings for "The Goodbye Girl". Patty McCormack for "The Bad Seed". Jackie Cooper for "Skippy" (he was in the leading category). Mickey Rooney must have been nominated somewhere along the way. Judy Garland won a special Oscar in 1939. The Academy often gave an award for "Juvenile performance". The kid from "The Yearling" won, as did Margaret O'Brien.
joeybiltmore1
Leading Actor Joined: 2/22/05
#14re: Tonys and child actors
Posted: 6/12/05 at 2:00pm
Brett Tabisel from "Big" received a Featured Actor Tony nomination, but his role was definitely a supporting one.
The boys from "The Boy From Oz" and "Caroline Or Change" both deserved nominations I thought.
#15re: Tonys and child actors
Posted: 6/12/05 at 2:23pmShirley Temple won a "special" academy award when she was 8 or so I believe.
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#16re: Tonys and child actors
Posted: 6/12/05 at 2:39pm
"A child will not win for a lead, because (and I just found this out in a previous thread, and from fellow co-workers) according to the Tony's way of nominating, if you're name is above the title, you are a "lead", if it is below the title, you are "featured", and no child actor is big enough to have their name above the title."
The Tony nominators do make exceptions, though. This past year, they considered Victoria Clark (below the title) a leading actress and Joanna Gleason (above the title) a featured actress. Nothing is set in stone, and it all really depends upon the size of the role.
WiCkEDrOcKS
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/13/04
#17re: Tonys and child actors
Posted: 6/12/05 at 2:49pmMitchel David Federan was wonderful in TBFO but wasnt Tony worthy at all. And same goes for Harrison Chad from Caroline, or Change. I think the best child performance Ive ever seen were from (saw them both because they alternated performances & I saw NINE twice) Anthony Colangelo and William Ullrich who played Young Guido in the phenomenal revival of NINE. They were equally amazing.
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