Everyone’s gotta start somewhere. Here are the debut roles of all 20 stars nominated for Oscars in the 2015 acting categories.
Benedict Cumberbatch
Benedict Cumberbatch: Amazing Grace
Cumberbatch’s first major film role was in 2006’s Amazing Grace.
Bradley Cooper
Bradley Cooper in the Clint Eastwood film American Sniper. The movie has received several Oscar nominations.
Bradley Cooper: Wet Hot American Summer
Bradley Cooper made his film debut alongside Amy Poehler in the cult classic Wet Hot American Summer.
Michael Keaton
Michael Keaton: Mister Rogers/Night Shift
Keaton first appeared on camera on the classic children’s show Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood in 1975. His big break came seven years later when he starred alongside Henry Winkler in Night Shift.
Eddie Redmayne
Eddie Redmayne: Like Minds
Eddie Redmayne’s first major role was in the 2006 film Like Minds.
Steve Carell
Steve Carell: SNL/The Daily Show
Carell got his start on Saturday Night Live in 1996. He first started generating major buzz for his work on The Daily Show before hitting it big on The Office.
Marion Cotillard
Marion Cotillard: Big Fish
Cotillard got her start in French theater and television productions. She was first introduced to American audiences in the 2003 Tim Burton film Big Fish.
Felicity Jones
Felicity Jones is nominated for Best Actress for her work in The Theory of Everything. It’s the first nomination for the young Brit.
Felicity Jones: Doctor Who
Jones got her start in British TV series like Doctor Who. She’s best known to American audiences for her role in The Amazing Spider-Man 2.
Rosamund Pike
Rosamund Pike: Die Another Day
Pike rose to fame as a Bond girl in 2002’s Die Another Day.
Julianne Moore
Julianne Moore won big at the 2015 Golden Globe Awards. And she also looked terrific in this dress!
Julianne Moore: Tales From the Darkside
Julianne Moore made her big screen debut in 1990’s Tales From the Darkside: The Movie. Needless to say, she’s come a long way in the years since.
Reese Witherspoon
Reese Witherspoon looks stunning on the red carpet of the 2015 Golden Globes. She did not go home with any hardware.
Reese Witherspoon: The Man in the Moon
Witherspoon got her start in 1991’s The Man in the Moon. She was just 15 at the time.
Ethan Hawke
Ethan Hawke: Explorers
Ethan Hawke made his dil debut in 1985’s Explorers.He was 15 years old at the time.
J.K. Simmons
J.K. Simmons is nominated for Best Actor for his role in Whiplash. It’s the veteran actors first nomination.
J.K. Simmons: Law & Order
Simmons got his start on TV’s Law & Order. He went on to star in other series, such as HBO’s Oz.
Robert Duvall
Robert Duvall is nominated for Best Supporting Actor for The Judge. He won an Oscar in 1984 for his work in Tender Mercies.
Robert Duvall: To Kill a Mockingbird
Robert Duvall made his film debut playing Boo Radley in the 1962 classic To Kill a Mockingbird. He’s appeared in more than 60 films in the decade since.
Edward Norton
Edward Norton is nominated for Best Supporting Actor for Birdman. It’s the acclaimed actor’s third nomination.
Edward Norton: Primal Fear
Norton made his film debut in 1996’s Primal Fear. He received his first Oscar nomination for the role.
Mark Ruffalo
Mark Ruffalo is nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his work in Foxcatcher.
Mark Ruffalo: You Can Count on Me
Ruffalo’s first major role was in 2000’s You Can Count on Me.
Patricia Arquette
Patricia Arquette is nominated for Best Supporting Actress for Boyhood.
Patricia Arquette: An Nightmare on Elm Street 3
Arquette got her start in the third Nightmare on Elm Street film. She’s doing slight more reputable work these days.
Laura Dern
Laura Dern is nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her work in Wild.
Laura Dern: Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains
Laura Dern began acting at age 6. She got her first major in the 1982 cult classic Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains.
Keira Knightley
Keira Knightley is nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her work in The Imitation Game.
Keira Knightley: Bend It Like Beckham
Keira Knightley got her start in the 2002 hit Bend It Like Beckham.
Emma Stone
Emma Stone is nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her work in Birdman.
Emma Stone: Superbad
Emma Stone made her big screen debut in the comedy hit Superbad.
Meryl Streep
Meryl Streep is nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her work in Into the Woods.
Meryl Streep: The Deer Hunter
Meryl Streep’s first major role was in the acclaimed 1978 film The Deer Hunter. She has since become the most nominated actress in Oscar history,