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    16 Actors Who Won Oscars For Their First Ever Movie

    Some people just come out the gate winners.

    1. Not only did Harold Russell win Best Supporting Actor for his first-ever acting role in The Best Years of Our Lives in 1947, he simultaneously became the first person to win two Oscars for the same part.

    Man in a white tank top operating a robotic hand to hold a cigarette
    RKO Pictures

    It was the first part the first the former soldier took after coming home wounded from World War II. Allegedly convinced he wouldn't win an award on merit alone, the Academy voted for Russell to receive an honourary Oscar for "bringing aid and comfort to disabled veterans through the medium of motion pictures." This award had the supposed aim of "thanking veterans."

    Harold received the honourary Oscar alongside his Best Supporting Actor award. He later became the first person to sell an Oscar, accepting a cool $55k from a collector in 1992.

    2. Mary Poppins was Julie Andrew's first big-screen movie role — it landed her the 1965 Best Actress award.

    Character Mary Poppins in a vintage outfit with a decorative hat and bow tie
    Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

    Though she'd made some TV appearances before, Mary Poppins was her first Hollywood movie designed for the big screen.

    3. Lupita Nyong'o's 2014 Best Supporting Actress Oscar came after her breakout Hollywood movie role in 12 Years A Slave.

    Lupita Nyong'o in an embellished gown holding an Oscar statuette
    Adrian Sanchez-gonzalez / AFP via Getty Images

    She had appeared in some TV shows and had had smaller roles in movies — makes sense, as she studied at the Yale School of Drama. But she landed her first huge big-screen part before she'd even graduated, and promptly earned her first Oscar.

    4. After a glittering stage career, Shirley Booth netted the 1952 Best Actress award for her first-ever movie role.