Young nominees, then and now

By Moira Macdonald
Seattle Times movie critic

	Haley Joel Osment
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Haley Joel Osment, 'The Sixth Sense' (1999)

Then: Osment was 11 when he was nominated for best supporting actor for his haunting work as Cole Sear, the pale, skinny boy who "sees dead people." He lost to Michael Caine ("The Cider House Rules"), who graciously acknowledged Osment in his speech.

Now: A veteran at 15, Osment is a high-school sophomore whose most recent film project was "Secondhand Lions" (opposite Caine and Robert Duvall).

Anna Paquin, 'The Piano' (1993)

	Anna Paquin

Then: Paquin's performance as the steely daughter who served as a voice for her mute mother (Holly Hunter) won the 11-year-old an Oscar for best supporting actress. Astonished, she gasped wordlessly at the microphone while clutching the Oscar, charming a worldwide audience.

Now: 21-year-old Paquin has studied at Columbia University, appeared steadily in films (most recently the blockbuster "X2," reprising her role as lonely mutant Rogue), and is currently appearing in the off-Broadway play "Roulette."

Justin Henry, 'Kramer vs. Kramer' (1979)

	AP Justin Henry, right, was 8 when he was nominated for best supporting actor for his role in "Kramer vs. Kramer," which also starred Dustin Hoffman.

Then: His first acting experience, as the son torn between two divorcing parents (Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep), earned him a supporting actor nomination at age 8 — still the youngest nominee in Oscar history. He lost, however, to Melvyn Douglas ("Being There"), who became, at 79, one of the oldest Oscar winners.

Now: Henry acted sporadically through his teens, quit for a while to attend college, and is back in the business. Now 32, he most recently starred in the independent film "My Dinner With Jimi," shown at the Seattle International Film Festival last year.

Quinn Cummings, 'The Goodbye Girl' (1977)

	WARNER BROS. Quinn Cummings, left, was 10 when she starred with Marsha Mason in "The Goodbye Girl."

Then: The role of Marsha Mason's worldly-wise daughter Lucy brought Cummings a best supporting actress nomination at age 10. She later had a recurring role on the TV series "Family."

Now: Now 36, Cummings retired from acting more than a decade ago. She's a mom and an entrepreneur, having invented (with a partner) the Hip Hugger, a slinglike baby carrier.

Tatum O'Neal, 'Paper Moon' (1973)

	FILE PHOTO Tatum O'Neal won the Academy Award for best supporting actress in "Paper Moon" at age 10.

Then: As Addie Loggins, con-girl partner to Depression-era con man Moses Pray (played by Ryan O'Neal, Tatum's real-life father), O'Neal stole scenes and won the Oscar for best supporting actress at age 10, becoming the youngest Oscar winner in history. She went on to a successful career as a young star in the '70s, headlining such movies as "The Bad News Bears."

Now: After a much-publicized marriage and divorce (to tennis star John McEnroe), three children and struggles with drug abuse, O'Neal, 40, acts occasionally. She recently was seen on a "Sex and the City" episode (as the hostess who famously made Carrie remove her shoes), and starred in the independent film "The Technical Writer," seen at the Sundance Film Festival last year.

	FILE PHOTO Mary Badham earned a supporting-actress nomination at age 10 for her role as Scout in "To Kill a Mockingbird."

Mary Badham, 'To Kill a Mockingbird' (1962)

Then: As tiny, noble Scout Finch, 10-year-old Badham etched herself into movie history and earned a best supporting actress nomination. A few years later, she appeared opposite Natalie Wood and Robert Redford in "This Property Is Condemned."

Now: Badham, 51, retired from the screen while still in her teens. She lives in Virginia with her husband and children, and frequently tours schools to speak about her "Mockingbird" experience.

Patty McCormack, 'The Bad Seed' (1956)

Then: At 11, McCormack earned a best supporting actress nomination as the murderous brat Rhoda Penmark (a role she had originated on Broadway two years earlier).

Now: A hardworking but low-profile actress in movies and television for many decades, McCormack was a regular on the TV series "Mama" and "The Ropers."

Brandon de Wilde, 'Shane' (1953)

	Brandon de Wilde

Then: The kid who famously cried "Shane! Come back!" in the closing scene of George Stevens' classic Western was 11 when he was nominated for best supporting actor. De Wilde was nonetheless an experienced actor, having made his Broadway debut at age 7 in "The Member of the Wedding" (a role he later duplicated on screen).

Now: After starring in his own TV series ("Jamie," 1953-54) and playing younger brothers to Paul Newman (in "Hud") and Warren Beatty (in "All Fall Down"), de Wilde's career ended in tragedy. He died in a car accident, at age 30, on his way to appear in a stage production in 1972.

Jackie Cooper, 'Skippy' (1931)

	Jackie Cooper

Then: Nine-year-old Cooper, already a veteran of the "Our Gang" series, was directed by his uncle, Norman Taurog, in this children's film based on Percy Crosby's comic strip. (Uncle Norm famously got young Jackie to cry by threatening to shoot his dog — which later became the title of Cooper's memoir, "Please Don't Shoot My Dog.") He remains the youngest best actor nominee in Oscar history.

Now: Cooper, 83, had a busy career both in front of and behind the camera, though after World War II he mostly worked in television. Among his final projects before retirement were the "Superman" movies in the late '70s and early '80s, in which he played editor Perry White.

Moira Macdonald: 206-464-2725 or mmacdonald@seattletimes.com

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