Quvenzhané Wallis ( ; born August 28, 2003)
is an American actress and author. In 2012, she starred as Hushpuppy in the
drama
Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...
film ''
Beasts of the Southern Wild
''Beasts of the Southern Wild'' is a 2012 American fantasy-drama film directed, co-written, and co-scored by Benh Zeitlin. It was adapted by Zeitlin and Lucy Alibar from Alibar's one-act play ''Juicy and Delicious''. The film stars Quvenzhan� ...
'' (2012), for which she was nominated for the
Academy Award for Best Actress
The Academy Award for Best Actress is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It has been awarded since the 1st Academy Awards to an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance in a lead ...
, becoming the
youngest actress to be nominated in the category, as well as
the first actor born in the 21st century nominated for an Oscar.
She went on to appear in the
Steve McQueen
Terrence Stephen McQueen (March 24, 1930November 7, 1980) was an American actor. His antihero persona, emphasized during the height of counterculture of the 1960s, 1960s counterculture, made him a top box office draw for his films of the late ...
film
''12 Years a Slave'' (2013). Wallis starred as Annie Bennett in the 2014 adaptation of ''
Annie'', for which she received a
Golden Globe
The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Januar ...
nomination for
Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical.
Wallis is also known for voicing the character Harper in the animated film
''Trolls'' (2016); as well as her role as Kyra in the television sitcom ''
Black-ish'' (2019).
As an author, she has published four children's books, ''Shai & Emmie Star in Break an Egg!'', ''A Night Out with Mama'', ''Shai & Emmie Star in Dancy Pants!'' and ''Shai & Emmie Star in To the Rescue!''
Early life
Wallis was born in
Houma, Louisiana
Houma ( ) is the largest city in and the parish seat of Terrebonne Parish in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is also the largest principal city of the Houma– Bayou Cane– Thibodaux metropolitan statistical area. The city's governme ...
, to Qulyndreia Wallis (née Jackson), a teacher, and Venjie Wallis Sr., a truck driver. She has one sister, Qunyquekya, and two brothers, Vejon and Venjie Jr.
Her name "Quvenzhané" combines the first syllables of her parents' first names in "Quven", and an alteration of the Swahili word ''jini'' meaning 'sprite' or 'fairy'.
Career
At age five, Wallis' parents lied about her age to audition for ''Beasts of the Southern Wild
''Beasts of the Southern Wild'' is a 2012 American fantasy-drama film directed, co-written, and co-scored by Benh Zeitlin. It was adapted by Zeitlin and Lucy Alibar from Alibar's one-act play ''Juicy and Delicious''. The film stars Quvenzhan� ...
'' (2012), which had a minimum tryout age of 6. She was chosen out of 4,000 to play Hushpuppy, an indomitable child prodigy and survivalist who lives with her dying father in the backwoods bayou squalor of Louisiana
Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...
. Director Benh Zeitlin
Benjamin Harold Zeitlin (; born October 14, 1982) is an American filmmaker, best known for directing and co-writing the 2012 film ''Beasts of the Southern Wild'', for which he received two Academy Award nominations.
Early life
Zeitlin was born i ...
told ''The Daily Beast
''The Daily Beast'' is an American news website focused on politics, media, and pop culture. Founded in 2008, the website is owned by IAC Inc.
It has been characterized as a "high-end tabloid" by Noah Shachtman, the site's editor-in-chief ...
'' that when he auditioned Wallis, he immediately realized he had discovered what he was looking for, and changed the ''Beasts of the Southern Wild'' script to accommodate her strong-willed personality. Her reading prowess, loud screaming voice, and ability to burp on command impressed the director and won her the part. Zeitlin has stated that "it was just the feeling behind her eyes".
The film premiered at Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with 423,234 combined in-person and online viewership in 2023.
The festival has acted ...
in January 2012 to rave reviews, winning the Grand Jury Prize. In May 2012, Wallis flew to France for the premiere of the film at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival
The 65th Cannes Film Festival took place from 16 to 27 May 2012. Italian filmmaker Nanni Moretti was the president of the jury for the main competition. French actress Bérénice Bejo hosted the opening and closing ceremonies. Austrian filmma ...
. Wallis's performance drew widespread acclaim and Zeitlin won the Caméra d'Or
The Caméra d'Or ("''Golden Camera''") is an award of the Cannes Film Festival for the best first feature film presented in one of the Cannes selections (Official Selection, Directors' Fortnight or Critics' Week).
The prize was created in 1978 Ca ...
, the festival's award for best first feature film. On January 10, 2013, at age nine, Wallis was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role. Wallis, who was 6 when she filmed ''Beasts of the Southern Wild'', is the all-time youngest nominee for Best Actress and the third-youngest nominee in any category. Wallis is the first African-American child actor and the first person born in the 21st century to earn an Oscar nomination.
Wallis had a role in the film '' 12 Years a Slave'' (2013), and collaborated with the Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with 423,234 combined in-person and online viewership in 2023.
The festival has acted ...
on a short film called ''Boneshaker''. In 2014, she played the title character in '' Annie'', the first African American to do so. For this, she was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical but the film was panned by critics. In May 2014, Wallis became the first child celebrity to be named the face of a luxury brand when she was signed by Armani Junior
Giorgio Armani S.p.A. (), commonly known as Armani, is an Italian Luxury goods, luxury fashion house founded in Milan by Giorgio Armani which designs, manufactures, distributes and retails haute couture, ready-to-wear, leather goods, shoes, acce ...
, Giorgio Armani
Giorgio Armani (; born 11 July 1934) is an Italian fashion designer and a billionaire. He first gained renown working for Cerruti 1881. He formed his company, Armani, in 1975, which eventually expanded into music, sport, and luxury hotels. By 200 ...
's fashion line for children and teens.
Wallis appeared in Beyoncé
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. With a career spanning over three decades, she has established herself as one of the most Cultural impact of Beyoncé, ...
's 2016 music video for " All Night". In October 2017, she released two children's books: the friendship-centric ''Shai & Emmie Star in Break an Egg!'' and ''A Night Out With Mama'', which is about her night at the Oscars with her mother. She published two more books, ''Shai & Emmie Star in To the Rescue!'' and ''Shai & Emmie Star in Dancy Pants!'', in 2018.
She became a member of the Actors Branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS, often pronounced ; also known as simply the Academy or the Motion Picture Academy) is a professional honorary organization in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., with the stated goal of adva ...
in 2018.
Filmography
Awards and nominations
See also
* List of oldest and youngest Academy Award winners and nominees – Youngest nominees for Best Actress in a Leading Role
* List of actors with Academy Award nominations
* List of accolades received by ''Beasts of the Southern Wild''
Notes
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wallis, Quvenzhane
2003 births
Living people
21st-century African-American actresses
21st-century African-American women writers
21st-century American actresses
21st-century American women writers
Actresses from Louisiana
African-American child actresses
American child actresses
American film actresses
American television actresses
American voice actresses
People from Houma, Louisiana
Writers from Louisiana