Rachel Zegler was only 20 when she won the Golden Globe for Best Actress for Spielberg's West Side Story. Chosen from thousands, she brought a fresh authenticity and stunning voice to the iconic role of Maria. It was an incredible career launch, proving that a star can be discovered through an open casting call. | © Walt Disney Pictures
Tatum O'Neal set a record that still stands, winning the Best Supporting Actress Oscar at just 10 years old for Paper Moon. Acting opposite her real-life father, Ryan O'Neal, she brought a precocious, sharp-witted toughness to the role of Addie Loggins. That performance remains the definitive gold standard for any child actor in a dramatic part. | © Paramount Pictures
Jennifer Lawrence became the second-youngest Best Actress Oscar winner at 22 for Silver Linings Playbook. She played a sharp, vulnerable widow forming an unexpected bond with her electric chemistry with co-star Bradley Cooper, feeling completely authentic. That potent mix of toughness and raw emotion is what ultimately won over the Academy. | © The Weinstein Company
Julia Roberts won the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress at 22 for her role in Steel Magnolias. As Shelby Eatenton, she more than held her own against a cast of screen legends, delivering a heartbreaking performance about a young woman facing diabetes. That dramatic weight, paired with her natural charisma, launched her directly into superstardom and proved her serious talent. | © TriStar Pictures
Saoirse Ronan won the Golden Globe for Best Actress at 23 for her role in Lady Bird. She perfectly captured that specific blend of teenage angst and restless ambition, with her complex relationship with her on-screen mother forming the film's emotional heart. While this was her first major award win, it felt like a long-awaited recognition of the consistent excellence she'd shown through her earlier Oscar nominations. | © A24
Angelina Jolie captured the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Television Movie at 23 for her fearless portrayal of supermodel Gia Carangi. She mirrored Gia's tragic, chaotic life with a raw intensity that perfectly balanced vulnerability and volatility. This role was a powerful precursor, proving she was a formidable talent ready for major film success. | © HBO
Anya Taylor-Joy won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Limited Series at 24 for The Queen's Gambit. She played chess prodigy Beth Harmon with such a focused intensity that audiences worldwide were captivated. Critics especially praised how she could convey Beth's complex strategies just through her eyes, a performance that turned the series into a phenomenon and Taylor-Joy into a major star. | © Netflix
Zendaya made history at 24, becoming the youngest ever to win the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress. Her raw, unflinching performance as Rue, a teenager battling addiction in Euphoria, required navigating devastating emotional highs and lows. That win immediately cemented her status as a serious, generational talent. | © HBO
Julia Garner won her first Primetime Emmy for Supporting Actress at 25 for playing Ruth Langmore in Ozark. With a unique accent and a tough exterior, Ruth became a fan favorite, but Garner’s real trick was finding the vulnerability inside such a hardened character. That standout performance in a cast of veterans was just the first of several awards she'd earn for the role. | © Netflix
Hilary Swank earned her first Oscar for Best Actress at 25 for her transformative role in Boys Don't Cry. She wholly committed to the heartbreaking true story of Brandon Teena, undergoing a dramatic physical change to inhabit the part. That performance, filled with profound empathy and tragedy, announced Swank as a serious talent unafraid of the most demanding material. | © Searchlight Pictures
Gwyneth Paltrow was 26 when she claimed the Oscar for Best Actress for Shakespeare in Love. She played Viola de Lesseps with such perfect, witty grace that she anchored the entire romantic period piece. The film’s awards-season sweep catapulted Paltrow to the Hollywood A-list, with voters particularly impressed by how she handled its complex dialogue and emotional shifts. | © Universal Studios
Jodie Comer secured the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress at 26 for Killing Eve. She turned the assassin Villanelle into a cultural phenomenon, making her chillingly charismatic by effortlessly switching accents and emotional gears. That victory immediately marked Comer as one of television's most formidable and talented young stars. | © Netflix
Barbra Streisand was just 26 when she tied for the Academy Award for Best Actress, winning for her very first film role in Funny Girl. She brought her iconic Broadway portrayal of Fanny Brice to the screen with an electric, larger-than-life energy. That performance, powered by her incredible voice and sharp comedy, immediately cemented her place in film history and launched her legendary path to EGOT status. | © Columbia Pictures
Emma Stone captured the Oscar for Best Actress at 28, starring in the vibrant musical La La Land. She charmed everyone as Mia, an aspiring actress weathering Hollywood's rejections, a part that demanded she master singing and dancing without losing the character's emotional core. The film is now a modern classic, a perfect showcase for her undeniable star power and impressive range. | © Summit Entertainment
Brie Larson was 26 when she won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her devastating turn in Room. She played a mother shielding her son from a brutal captivity, a role she prepared for by isolating herself to grasp that deep psychological trauma. That honest commitment anchored the entire film and made her the year's undeniable critical favorite. | © A24
From Oscar record-setters to history-making Emmy winners, some actresses reach award season's pinnacle remarkably early in their careers. Here are the 15 youngest performers to win the entertainment industry's most prestigious competitive awards.
