Meet Quvenzhané Wallis, a ‘triple threat’

You’ve probably heard by now, 9-year-old Louisiana native Quvenzhané Wallis is the youngest person ever to be nominated for a Best Actress Oscar for her role as Hushpuppy in Beasts of the Southern Wild.

Here, are nine things to know about the talented tike

1) Her first name, Quvenzhané, is pronounced Kwuh-VIN-juh-nay.
It’s a combination of her parents’ first names (Qulyndreia and Venjie) and the Swahili word “zhané,” which means “fairy.” Too much of a mouthful? You can always call her “Nazie” (pronounced NAY-zy).

 

2) She was too young to audition.

Casting directors were looking for a 6 to 9-year-old. At age 5, Nazie (her nickname) knocked their socks off. she and her mother kept mum about her age, so they fib about her age to audition for her very first acting job--the starring role in Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012) because the minimum age to be considered was six. She eventually beat out some 4,000 other local kids to play Hushpuppy--the indomitable child prodigy and survivalist who lives with her dying father in the backwoods bayou squalor of Louisiana. Luckily, it all worked out. 

 

3) She beat some stiff competition.
Nazie contended against 4,000 other girls to land the part of Hushpuppy, a spirited young girl who demonstrates courage and strength amidst her father’s ailing health and the impending flooding of her bayou community.
 

4) The director rewrote the script for her.
Director Benh Zeitlin said, that when he auditioned Nazie, he immediately realized he'd discovered what he was looking for, and changed the 'Beasts' script to accommodate her strong-willed personality.



5) Her favorite color is pink.

6) She has two dogs.
And according to Nazie, the big German shepherd and the small Yorkipoo don’t exactly get along.


7. She hails from Houma, a small city in southeastern Louisiana (i.e., in the foot).
The area is known for its unique Cajun culture, described by Wikipedia as a “creolization of Native American, Acadian, and African traditions.”

 
8. She loves pop music.

Her fave artists include Demi Lovato, Selena Gomez, Nicki Minaj, and Debby Ryan.

9. She’s the envy of grown women everywhere.

10)Her next gig is Twelve Years a Slave, alongside Brad Pitt and Michael Fassbender. 

Quvenzhané Wallis, 9-year-old star of the independent film 'Beasts of the Southern Wild'