How Quvenzhané Wallis Spent Her Break From Hollywood "Being Normal"

Originally appeared on E! Online

You never forget your first Oscars. Though that doesn't necessarily mean you can recall every detail, either.

"I barely remember any of it, honestly, which is surprising to a lot of people," Quvenzhané Wallis told E! News' Francesca Amiker in an exclusive interview. "It's very blurry."

But considering the puppy purse-toting phenom was only 9 when she became the youngest-ever Best Actress Oscar nominee in 2013 for her first movie, Beasts of the Southern Wild, it's understandable why the experience may have been a little overwhelming.

"The most that I remember is being on set for Beasts and being outside and having fun with everyone," shared the now-20-year-old. "But I don't remember meeting a lot of the people, I don't really remember that whole period. I just remember traveling the world and meeting so many different people."

Wallis added, "It was really eye-opening to me as a kid because I had only been in Houma, Louisiana, and I got to see everything so fast and so quickly that it was like, 'Oh [nodding and looking around], OK, alright…'"

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Hot off her acting debut as resourceful 6-year-old Hushpuppy in Beasts—a role she earned by distinguishing herself from 3,500 other hopefuls at an open casting call—Wallis appeared in 2014 Best Picture winner 12 Years a Slave and scored the lead in the 2014 remake of Annie, costarring Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz.

Jennifer Graylock/FilmMagic

A hard knock life, it was not, though there was an element of boot camp to it.

"I was having a ball to be able to sing, dance and run around the place," Wallis said of the time she spent in New York making the musical. "I was living the dream."

While "work can start feeling like work, it loses the fun, it loses the oomph," she explained, "Annie definitely kept me in the sense of having fun. Also the training, the dance lessons, the singing lessons reminded me you have to practice, even something that you're good at. You can't just expect it to get better and you not put in any work."

Barry Wetcher/Sony/Village Roadshow/Kobal

Wallis was 11 when Annie hit theaters in time for Christmas 2014 and she was nominated for a Golden Globe. But while she kept acting, Breathe is her first movie since lending her voice to the 2016 animated hit Trolls.

"Everything about it was new to me," she said of the dystopian thriller, which is set in a New York devoid of oxygen. "The fight scenes, the guns, the mask, the wardrobe and being in the weather—it was a lot to deal with, but it was also challenging, and I love a good challenge."

And she got some advice she took to heart from Jennifer Hudson, who plays her mother in the film, which also stars Milla Jovovich and Sam Worthington.

More seasoned actors would tell her, "'Just be humble,' and they would explain their story and where they came from," Wallis shared. "But that's something that I always have to remind myself of. People watch us [onscreen] and stuff, but we are all human."

Yet it took her a minute to realize that how often the phone was ringing—or, for a time, not ringing—didn't define who she was as a person.

"I had that gap where I wasn't really working and my self-esteem dropped and I wasn't too sure of myself," Wallis explained, "and just talking to people since then has slowly rebuilt that. Jennifer told me, 'Go for it, what's the worst that can happen? Someone tells you no? You've already experienced that and you made it past that. Just go for it.'"

Child Stars Then and Now

And though it was admittedly hard to not book every job she tried out for, she wouldn't trade her break from the spotlight for anything.

Marion Curtis/StarPix for Apple TV+

"That gap was really just me being 'normal' to the best extent that I could," Wallis said. "I was in high school and playing sports and I was on the dance team, just living life. But I was still auditioning and that's what made that gap the hardest thing for me, because I went back to being in a normal environment. No one treated me special, no one treated me like I was anyone…important."

She laughed knowingly. "I was just allowed to be me, I was allowed to find who I was as a person," she continued. "So I'm grateful for that break because I wouldn't have been this person if it wasn't for that. I don't know who I would have been if I'd just continued to work all throughout that time and made it here. I don't think I would like the person that I would be if that happened."

Now that Wallis is here, though, she's still figuring out how to best balance her career and private life.

"I can't even lie to you, I'm still learning!" she said. "It's been 10 years, I'm still trying to get there."

But she does know that, if it were possible, she would tell a certain Oscar-nominated 9-year-old not to take the whole Hollywood thing—or herself—so seriously.

"Not everybody really cares about what you're doing or how you look," Wallis said. "Everybody's so involved with their own life, so you can't hold them to your standards. Just be all of you, and don't let what you think other people are looking at or wondering [get to you]. Just don't. Be you."

Breathe in now playing in theaters and available via digital and On Demand.

And as you're mulling Wallis' wise words, keep reading to see what came next for more child actors who made a splash in Oscar-nominated movies:

Alan Kim

It's safe to say that 8-year-old Alan Kim won over audiences with his adorable performance in Minari, which is up for six awards at the 2021 Oscars. However, he's continued to steal our hearts throughout awards season. Case in point: Alan got adorably emotional as he accepted his Critics Choice Award for Best Young Actor.

As for what's next for the child star? He'll be starring opposite Eighth Grade star Elsie Fisher in Latchkey Kids.

Roman Griffin Davis

Audiences couldn't get enough of Roman Griffin Davis as the titular character in Taika Waititi's 2019 Oscar-winning film, Jojo Rabbit. On-screen, Roman played a 10-year-old Hitler Youth member who began questioning his beliefs after he discovered that his mother was hiding a Jewish girl in their home. Off-screen, Roman proved to be charming and sweet-natured as he participated in fun games for press tours, red carpets and more.

Following the success of JoJo Rabbit, Roman will star in Silent Night.

Archie Yates

Another adorable Jojo Rabbit child star!

Archie Yates' portrayal of Jojo's best friend Yorki was totally heartwarming and fans couldn't get enough of him on the red carpet. Thankfully, Archie, now 12, isn't going anywhere as he's been named the lead of Disney+'s Home Alone reboot.

Jacob Tremblay

Moviegoers were blown away by 7-year-old Jacob Tremblay's performance in Room. So much so, the youngster won the Best Young Performer award at the 2016 Critics' Choice Movie Awards.

Jacob, 14, continued to win over hearts with his adorable appearances on red carpets alongside his Oscar-winning co-star Brie Larson. Following his critically-acclaimed performance in Room, Jacob starred in Wonder, Good Boys, Doctor Sleep and several other projects. You'll see him next in Disney's The Little Mermaid as Flounder.

Quvenzhané Wallis

In 2012, Quvenzhané Wallis impressed moviegoers with her portrayal of Hushpuppy in the drama film Beasts of the Southern Wild. In fact, her performance was so impressive she landed a Best Actress nomination at just 9 years old. This nomination made her the youngest actress ever to be nominated and was the first performer born in the 21st century to be nominated for an acting Academy Award.

So, what has Quvenzhané been up to these days? Not only did the now 17-year-old play the titular character in the 2014 Annie film, but she also appeared in 12 Years a Slave, Fathers and Daughters, Trolls and more.

Hailee Steinfeld

Before she was a pop star and seasoned actress, Hailee Steinfeld was the impressive newcomer in 2010's True Grit. Cast at 13 to play Mattie Ross in the Western flick, Hailee went on to land an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

These days, Hailee, now 24, is churning out chart-topping hits like "Most Girls," "Love Myself" and "Starving" and starring in Apple TV+'s Dickinson. You may also recognize Hailee from her work in the Pitch Perfect franchise, The Edge of Seventeen and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.

Saoirse Ronan

While Saoirse Ronan seems to be an awards season staple at this point, with four Oscar nominations under her belt at 27, she was relatively unknown when she starred in 2007's Atonement. At 13, Saoirse's portrayal of Briony Tallis earned her a Best Supporting Actress nomination, making her the seventh-youngest nominee in that specific category.

She has since gone on to be nominated in the Best Actress category for her work in Little Women, Lady Bird and Brooklyn. You may also recognized her from The Lovely Bones and Hanna.

Abigail Breslin

Although Abigail Breslin already had acting credits under her belt prior to her role in Little Miss Sunshine, the 2006 dark-comedy is certainly one of the most notable films on her resume. In fact, for her portrayal of Olive Hoover, Abigail, then 10, earned a Best Supporting Actress nomination at the 79th Academy Awards.

Since then, Abigail, now 25, has starred in Definitely, Maybe, My Sister's Keeper, Zombieland, August: Osage County, Scream Queens and more.

Keisha Castle-Hughes

At 13, Keisha Castle-Hughes became the second youngest Best Actress nominee when she was nominated for her work in Whale Rider. Following this celebrated film role, Keisha, now 31, has gone on to star in The Nativity Story, Game of Thrones and, most recently, FBI: Most Wanted.

Freddie Highmore

Before he was The Good Doctor, Freddie Highmore was breaking all of our hearts in the Oscar-nominated film, Finding Neverland. Starring opposite Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet, Freddie played the inspiration for J. M. Barrie's most famous character, Peter Pan.

Freddie's child actor career continued with leading roles in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, August Rush and The Spiderwick Chronicles. The British-born actor, 29, later made a splash as a young Norman Bates in the drama series, Bates Motel. He currently stars as Dr. Shaun Murphy in ABC's The Good Doctor.

Jonathan Lipnicki

Jonathan Lipnicki's film debut was certainly a memorable one. Starring opposite Tom Cruise and Renée Zellweger, Jonathan won over viewers with his sweet smile and even sweeter lisp in Jerry Maguire. While the film was nominated for five Academy Awards, it was 6-year-old Jonathan who we remember most.

After his role in Jerry Maguire, Jonathan starred in Stuart Little, The Little Vampire, Like Mike and other projects. Most recently, Jonathan, now 30, has appeared in TV shows such as Worst Cooks in America, Celebs Go Dating and Drop the Mic.

Dakota Fanning

Dakota Fanning became a child star at the age of 7 thanks to her performance in I Am Sam. The film, which earned Sean Penn a Best Actor nomination at the 2001 Oscars, help launch Dakota's career, which included blockbuster films Uptown Girls, War of the Worlds, Cat in the Hat and Man on Fire.

Now, at age 27, Dakota has explored modeling and even launched a production company, Lewellen Pictures, with sister Elle Fanning. Recent credits include Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, The Alienist, Effie Gray and The Twilight Saga.

Haley Joel Osment

It's hard to forget this '90s child star. While Haley Joel Osment made his breakthrough with a small part in Forrest Gump, most remember him from his specter-seeing part in The Sixth Sense. His work as Cole Sear opposite Bruce Willis landed him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor at the 72nd Academy Awards at the age of 11.

Haley, now 33, went on to book several prominent films, including A.I. Artificial Intelligence, Pay It Forward and Secondhand Lions. Most recently, Haley has appeared in Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, Entourage, The Boys and more.

Anna Paquin

Anna Paquin's breakthrough role in The Piano made history! Not only did 11-year-old Anna get nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the 66th Academy Awards, but she also won, which made her the second-youngest winner in Oscar history.

Her career didn't stop there as Anna, 38, went on to star in Jane Eyre, Almost Famous, the X-Men franchise, True Blood and more.

Justin Henry

Justin Henry's debut role in 1979's Kramer vs. Kramer was a historic one. Why? Well, because, at 8 years old, Justin earned an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor, which made him the youngest Academy Award nominee in any category.

Following this nomination, Justin, now 49, appeared in Fantasy Island, Sixteen Candles, Sweet Hearts Dance and more.

Jodie Foster

You may recognize this former child star!

Before she was an Oscar-winning actress and celebrated director, Jodie Foster was the breakout child star of Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver. For her work portraying a child prostitute in the psychological thriller, Jodie earned herself an Oscar nomination in the Best Supporting Actress category at the age of 12.

Jodie, now 58, went on to star in several other notable films, including the original Freaky Friday, The Silence of the Lambs, The Accused, Panic Room and more.

Tatum O'Neal

A dazzling performance by a child star.

In 1974, 10-year-old Tatum O'Neal became the youngest person to win the Best Actress Oscar. Tatum, now 57, took home the prize for her work opposite real-life dad Ryan O'Neal in Paper Moon.

Tatum's career didn't stop there as she went on to appear in several films and TV shows, including 1976's The Bad News Bears, Little Darlings, Sex and the City, Wicked Wicked Games and more.

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