One actor set an incredible Oscar record that has not been broken for 93 years

The 1932 Academy Awards was an edition that had many firsts. The 4th year of the ceremony was the first time a western won best picture, a director won several awards, and a movie received several nominations for acting. however, There is one breakthrough from the 1932 ceremony that has not been beaten to this day.

The 1932 Oscars stand out from other ceremonies throughout the decade for being the youngest nominee for the Best Actor category.A record that has not been broken for 93 years. Jackie Cooper already had 19 acting credits before his nomination, although these were for shorts or smaller roles in his childhood, making his nomination even more surprising as it was his first lead role in a full-length movie.

Jackie Cooper was the youngest Best Actor nominee in 1931

Jackie Cooper’s performance as Skippy won him the title of America’s Boy

Jackie Cooper was only 9 years old when he became the youngest nominee for the category of Best Actor at the Academy Awards. The actor was nominated for his performance as Skippy in the 1931 adaptation of the Skippy Comics by Percy Crosby. The drama tells the story of a mischievous rich boy when he befriends poor Sookie from Shantytown. Throughout the movie, Skippy exhausts his efforts to save Sookie’s dog from a cruel dogcatcher. The tear-jerking movie also earned its director, Norman Taurog, and its writer, Joseph L. Mankiewicz and Sam Mintz, nominations at the Oscars.

Jackie Cooper’s powerful and precocious performance made such an impact on audiences that it paved the way for a myriad of films famous, if only, for “Presenting Jackie Cooper” – including a spin-off sequel to skip, But also more than 10 titles over the 30s and 40s. The actor’s iconic youth roles won him the title of “America’s boy.” Shockingly, however, Cooper was never again nominated at the Oscars, Despite his long Hollywood career, which saw the former child actor become an award-winning filmmaker for his work in M*A*S*H And The White Shadow.

No one came close to breaking Jackie Cooper’s Best Actor Oscar record

The second-youngest Best Actor nominee was 22 years old

Even if other major Hollywood child stars made their way to the Oscars nominations lineup, Jackie Cooper holds the record as the youngest Best Actor nominee. If anything, Cooper shares a breakthrough record with other child actors and actresses who, in a different category, made history themselves, and who, like Cooper, also still retain their achievements.

Notably, actress Tatum O’Neal stands out because she was the youngest Best Actress nominee and winner. The youngest winner in the Oscars best actor category was Adrien Brody for his performance in 2002 The pianist Like Vladislav Spielman, but the actor was 29. The second-youngest Best Actor nominee is Timothée Chalamet for his 2018 role as Elio in Call me by your name When he was 22. No other child actor has even come close to breaking Jackie Cooper’s record for being the youngest Best Actor nominee, and looking at the history of film and performance nominees, the reason is evident.

Why Jackie Cooper’s youngest Best Actor nominee record is so hard to beat

Child actors often get supporting roles not lead roles

While movies like The bad seed, To kill a mockingbird, The Goodbye Girl, The piano, The sixth senseAnd Little Miss Sunshine Have garnered very young actors and actresses acting nominations, these were for supporting roles alongside mature performers. Very rarely, a drama movie has a child as the lead – Especially a child up to 9 years old. Such exceptions have made history, and remain unbeaten for a reason.

As previously noted, even others Child actors and actresses who hold their own uncontested record, such as Justin Henry and Tatum O’Neal, star in movies that don’t just revolve around their characters.. O’Neill S Paper moon deals with an iconic pair of a father figure and an orphaned girl as they travel on the road, implement scams on people and escape prosecution, while Henry’s Kramer vs. Kramer Sees him as a young boy at the center of his parents’ divorce, a drama led by skilled actor Dustin Hoffman and actress Meryl Streep.

Skippy And Jackie Cooper had no competition, because there were very few dramedies with a 9-year-oldor younger, male actor. Even Cooper’s later movies didn’t see him as a lead without an adult co-star. The lack of movies with a child lead in the Academy Awards History shows how difficult and unusual it is to write a dramatic role for children. Even more so, it shows how incredibly strange it is to find such acting prowess in child performers for them to be able to carry a lead role like Jackie Cooper was only 9 years old.