At just five years old, Wallis beat out nearly 4,000 other children to play the tenacious Louisiana toddler Hushpuppy in "Beasts of the Southern Wild" (2012). The indie film gave Wallis the role of a lifetime and catapulted the newcomer to fame overnight -- even earning her an Oscar nomination along the way. This holiday season, Wallis lights up the screen opposite Jamie Foxx in the beloved musical "Annie."
1. Quvenzhané Wallis was born August 28, 2003 in Houma, Louisiana to Qulyndreia Jackson and Venjie Wallis, Sr.
2. Her mother is a teacher, while her father is a truck driver.
3. Wallis has one sister, Qunyquekya, and two brothers, Vejon and Venjie Jr.
4. The first half of Wallis's first name is a combination of her parents' first names. The other half, "Zhané," means "fairy" in Swahili.
5. Here's how you pronounce it:
6. Wallis is the youngest Oscar nominee of all time. At the age of nine, she was nominated for Best Actress for her performance in "Beasts of the Southern Wild" (2012). She was six years old during the filming of the film, and a mere five years old when she auditioned.
7. While auditioning, Wallis even had to lie about her age. The minimum age to be considered for the lead role in "Beasts" was six years old. Ultimately, she beat out 4,000 other youngsters for the role of Hushpuppy, a child prodigy and survivalist who lives with her dying father in the backwoods of Louisiana.
8. Why was Wallis chosen for the part? Besides her obvious talents, director Benh Zeitlin said, "It was just the feeling behind her eyes."
9. Last year, the young actress appeared in Steve McQueen's "12 Years a Slave" (2013). The film took home the top honor at the 2014 Academy Awards.
10. In May, 2014, Wallis was named the face of Armani Junior.
[Sources: IMDb, Wikipedia]
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