12 Years a Slave director Steve McQueen cast Nyong'o — who was just about to graduate from the Yale School of Drama — as Patsey, a young slave who works for the slave owner Edwin Epps (Michael Fassbender) and is the subject of his wife's jealousy and both characters' brutality.
STORY: Oscars: Lupita Nyong'o, Barkhad Abdi Land Noms for First Movie Roles
Abdi made his acting debut in the Paul Greengrass movie inspired by the real-life takeover of the ship Maersk Alabama by Somali pirates in 2009. Abdi played Muse, the Somali leader.
STORY: Oscars: Lupita Nyong'o, Barkhad Abdi Land Noms for First Movie Roles
At just five years old, Wallis was cast as Hushpuppy, a young girl who was born and raised primitively in a remote part of the southern Louisiana bayou and deals with the illness of her father (Dwight Henry), the absence of her mother and the mysteries of the world.
The Ender's Game actress' first major role was that of Mattie Rose, the fast-talking, preternaturally self-assured 14-year-old who hires Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) to bring her father’s killer, Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin), to justice.
The American Horror Story: Coven actress earned a nod for her debut as an abused, pregnant teenager in Precious, directed by Lee Daniels.
The American Idol alum wowed with a memorable debut as Effie in the film adaptation of the Broadway musical, opposite Jamie Foxx, Eddie Murphy and Beyonce.
The Colombian native beat out more than 900 others who auditioned for the lead role in the critically acclaimed indie, playing a pregnant plantation laborer who risks her life as a drug mule.
With no previous acting experience, the New Zealander's inaugural role was that of Paikea "Pai" Apirana, who hopes to break her culture's gender boundaries and become the first female leader of her tribe.
Opposite Richard Gere and Laura Linney, Norton's first feature had him cast as Aaron Stampler, an altar boy charged with the murder of a Catholic archbishop.
The True Blood actress won an Oscar for her debut role in the critical darling as Flora, the daughter of a mute pianist.
The deaf actress made her Oscar-winning debut in the film adaptation of the Tony-winning play, playing the lead role of a school employee who learns how to speak and falls in love.
The OWN media mogul and leading lady of Lee Daniels' The Butler made her feature film debut as Sofia in the period drama, opposite Danny Glover, and directed by Steven Spielberg.
The actor-turned-producer successfully transitioned from the stage to the big screen in his first major role as a blind soldier, opposite Sally Field, Danny Glover and Ed Harris.
The trained physician could not resume his practice after fleeing Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge regime but won the Oscar for his supporting role in the film opposite Sam Waterston and John Malkovich.
Close first jumped from stage to screen with her debut in the adaptation of John Irving's novel, opposite Robin Williams, John Lithgow and Mary Beth Hurt.
The noted ballet dancer wowed with his acting debut in Herbert Ross' romance drama, alongside Anne Bancroft and Shirley MacLaine.
Robert Altman's classic movie focused on a group of people in the country music business in the Tennessee city. Tomlin played a straitlaced, gospel-singing mother of two deaf children who embarks on an affair with a womanizing singer (Keith Carradine).
At age 10, O'Neal became the youngest person ever to win an Oscar in a competitive category for her role in this crime drama. She starred opposite her father, Ryan O'Neal, in the story of a con man who meets a young girl who's just lost her mother — and who may be his daughter.
The singer portrayed another iconic singer — Billie Holiday — in this biopic.
Streisand took her Broadway role to the big screen in this movie about a vaudeville star.
The actress portrayed Edie Doyle opposite Marlon Brando in Elia Kazan's crime drama about union violence and corruption among longshoremen.
Clift actually shot another movie, Red River with John Wayne, before The Search, but the latter movie — about an American private who helps a lost Czech boy find his mother in post-war Berlin — was released first.
The future Murder, She Wrote star made her big-screen debut at age 18 in George Cukor's mystery-thriller, adapted from Patrick Hamilton's play about a murdered opera singer, opposite Ingrid Bergman.
Welles directed, co-wrote, produced and starred in this movie, based in part on newspaper mogul William Randolph Hearst. It has been called the best film of all time by numerous critics.
The actress took her Broadway role as Emily Webb to the big screen in the film adaptation of Thornton Wilder's play opposite William Holden as George Gibbs.
The actress portrayed the wife of schoolteacher Mr. Chipping (Robert Donat) in this adaptation of James Hilton's novel.
The opera singer made his debut in this movie, about a Russian bandit who falls in love with a princess. Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy also appear in the film.
The singer-actress made the British nanny into a pop culture icon with her performance in this musical, loosely based on P. L. Travers' book series.