Best Actress Oscar Nominees 2012: Did You Know?

Glenn Close

Nominated for: "Albert Nobbs"Award-Worthy: nominated 5 times for an Oscar, won 3 Tonys, an Obie, 3 Emmys, 2 Golden Globes and 1 SAG AwardInteresting Fact: Glenn's first role as a man wasn't in "Albert Nobbs." The actress had a brief cameo in Steven Spielberg's 1991 "Hook" as one of the bearded male pirates on Captain Hook's ship.Quote: When Close received her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2009, she said someday, years from now, someone will see her star and say, "Glenn Close? Glenn Close? Oh yeah, HE was good."

Viola Davis

Nominated for: "The Help"Award-Worthy: Viola was nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for the 2008 film, "Doubt."Interesting Fact: For her eight-minute scene in "Doubt," Viola put together a 50-page biography of her character. That scene earned her an Academy Award nomination.Quote: "I can't deal with actors! I can't deal with myself. We're neurotic and miserable... I love what I'm doing, but while I'm doing it, I'm miserable."

Rooney Mara

Nominated for: "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"Award-Worthy: nominated for a Best Actress Golden Globe Award for her role as Lisbeth Salander in "Dragon Tattoo"Interesting Fact: Mara's father is Timothy Mara, the vice president of the NY Giants.Quote: Many of Rooney's piercings for "Dragon Tattoo" were real, and the star admitted, "I didn't even have pierced ears. They put four holes in each ear, and, weirdly, that hurt the most."

Meryl Streep

Nominated for: "The Iron Lady"Award-Worthy: Meryl is officially the world's most nominated actress, with 17 Oscar nods and 26 Golden Globe nominations!Interesting Fact: The gifted actress immerses herself in whatever role she takes on, and even learned how to speak Polish for her part in "Sophie's Choice" -- and taking home her second Oscar. (The first was for "Kramer vs. Kramer.")Quote: "Every single decision I make about what material I do, what I'm putting out in the world, is because of my children."

Michelle Williams

Nominated for: "My Week with Marilyn"Award-Worthy: Williams gained recognition after her part in "Brokeback Mountain" and was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, as well as a BAFTA and SAG Award. She was also nominated for her role as Cindy in "Blue Valentine," opposite Ryan Gosling.Interesting Fact: The actress remembers her ex-boyfriend and daughter's father, Heath Ledger, and explained her short 'do, telling Elle magazine, "I cut it for the one straight man who has ever really liked short hair and I wear it in memorial for somebody who really liked it."Quote: "When my daughter asks, 'What do you do?', every movie I have a different answer. As she grows, she wants more explanations."

The Extra List: 2012 Oscar Nomination Reactions

Glenn Close

For her riveting performance as a man in "Albert Nobbs," Glenn Close was honored with a Best Actress nod. It is her sixth Oscar nomination.Close noted her fierce competition for Best Actress, saying, "It's an incredibly strong year for women. It's just so thrilling to be in the company of these other women -- and cross-generational, which is great."To celebrate her nomination in NYC, "Extra" gave the star a big box of chocolates, which she had a difficult time opening.Close even enlisted the help of actor Henry Winkler, who said, "I'll hold, you open it." After many tries, she finally opened the box of sweets, and thanked "Extra" for the thoughtful present.[http://cdnbakmi.kaltura.com/p/594231/sp/59423100/thumbnail/entry_id/1_trm8nwf8/width/120/height/90/bgcolor/000000/type/2]

Michelle Williams

Michelle Williams received a Best Actress nomination for her role in "My Week with Marilyn.""I am so grateful to be acknowledged by the Academy for my work, which was made possible by the support of our director Simon Curtis and the camaraderie of a terrific ensemble of actors -- a special congratulations to Kenneth Branagh -- and the fearless Harvey Weinstein. This role has been the challenge and privilege of a lifetime. I would like to think that the recognition our film has received by the Academy is a testament to Marilyn's legacy."

Rooney Mara

Newcomer Rooney Mara was nominated for Best Actress in "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," and told "Extra" she feels honored to be in a category with such talented actresses."Those are women I've looked up to, and that has inspired me."[http://cdnbakmi.kaltura.com/p/594231/sp/59423100/thumbnail/entry_id/1_jym6mx28/width/120/height/90/bgcolor/000000/type/2]

Octavia Spencer

Nominated for Best Supporting Actress for "The Help," Octavia Spencer beamed, "I am on a cloud of happiness."[http://cdnbakmi.kaltura.com/p/594231/sp/59423100/thumbnail/entry_id/1_taxvuwtt/width/120/height/90/bgcolor/000000/type/2]

Viola Davis

Actress Viola Davis, nominated for Best Actress for her work in "The Help" had a special message to fellow nominee George Clooney. "Stop following me George. You're obsessed with me," she laughed with "Extra."[http://cdnbakmi.kaltura.com/p/594231/sp/59423100/thumbnail/entry_id/1_am0synwe/width/120/height/90/bgcolor/000000/type/2]

Jonah Hill

Making his mark on Hollywood, Jonah Hill received a Best Supporting Actor nomination for his role in "Moneyball" with Brad Pitt."For the rest of your life, people are going to say, 'Academy Award Nominee Jonah Hill.' It doesn't seem real yet."[http://cdnbakmi.kaltura.com/p/594231/sp/59423100/thumbnail/entry_id/1_64iirj71/width/120/height/90/bgcolor/000000/type/2]

James Cromwell

"The Artist" star James Cromwell talked with "Extra" host Mario Lopez at The Grove about the Oscar-nominated film.[http://cdnbakmi.kaltura.com/p/594231/sp/59423100/thumbnail/entry_id/1_v8jfuu1m/width/120/height/90/bgcolor/000000/type/2]

Bridget O'Connor and Peter Straughan

Husband and wife team Bridget O'Connor and Peter Straughan received a nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay for "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy."O'Connor, who died at the age of 49 in 2010 from cancer, received a posthumous nod.Her husband Peter released this statement:"I'm stunned and thrilled to hear about the nomination. I wish more than anything in the world that my wife Bridget O'Connor -- who did the lion's share of the adaptation -- could be here to enjoy this moment. She would be so happy and so proud. I'm going to go and meet my daughter now and tell her how clever her mother was!"

Max von Sydow

"Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" was recognized twice -- with a nod for Best Picture and another for Best Supporting Actor to Max von Sydow."My sincere thanks to my colleagues at the Academy. It is wonderful. I don't know what to say -- I am dumbfounded."

Screenwriter for 'The Ides of March'

Beau Willimon, the screenwriter for "The Ides of March" starring George Clooney and Ryan Gosling, expressed his excitement after receiving a nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay."It's been an incredible eight year journey from the first draft of the play until this moment.Working with George and Grant has been one of the most rewarding collaborations of my career, and I couldn't be more thrilled that our film is getting this kind of recognition."

Melissa McCarthy

Funnylady Melissa McCarthy received a Best Supporting Actress nod for her feisty role as Megan, in the comedy "Bridesmaids.""My fingers are crossed. Anytime you get a comedy in there I just root for it!"

Brad Pitt

"This is an extraordinary honor.I am dizzy with joy... and caffeine.Considering both films, 'Moneyball' and 'The Tree of Life,' nearly didn't make it to the screen, this is especially sweet.And I'd like to thank all the artisans and craftsmen who gave their best to each film.I am especially over the moon for Jonah (and the other Moneyballers acknowledged today), Terry Malick and the tribute this is to Billy Beane and the Oakland A's organization.My congratulations to all the nominees...pancakes for everyone."

Oscar Nominations 2012: 8 Surprises and Snubs

Surprise!

Mexican actor Demián Bichir's first Best Actor nod for his turn as a gardener trying to keep his son away from L.A. gang life in "A Better Life." Bichir is best known as the doomed drug lord who romances Mary Louise Parker's character in the Showtime series, "Weeds."

Snub!

Michael Fassbender missed the Best Actor cut for his searing portrayal of a sex addict in "Shame." That is a shame.

Surprise!

Gary Oldman finally received his first Oscar nomination for his understated "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" performance. Some Oscar prognosticators believed Leonardo DiCaprio would take a Best Actor spot for "J. Edgar," but no.

Surprise!

Max von Sydow snagged his second Oscar nomination for his turn as mysterious and mute man who helps a young boy struggling to understand his father's death after 9/11 in "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close."Another surprise was the film's inclusion on the Best Picture list. Up to this point, "Extremely Loud" had mostly been omitted from award season lists, such as the Golden Globes, because not many voters had seen the film. Better late than never!

Snub!

Director David Fincher didn't make the list for helming "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," despite receiving a Directors Guild Award nomination.

Surprise!

"Dragon Tattoo's" star Rooney Mara, however, found her name on the Best Actress list for her tough-nut portrayal of computer hacker Lisbeth Salander, beating strong contender Tilda Swinton for "We Need to Talk about Kevin."

Snub!

Steven Spielberg's animated 3D spectacle "The Adventures of Tintin" failed to snag a Best Animated Film nod. Instead, two relatively unknown foreign animated films, "A Cat in Paris" and "Chico & Rita," took the coveted spots.

Surprise!

There are only two nominees for Best Original Song? That's the case this year, with "Man or Muppet" from "The Muppets" and "Real in Rio" from "Rio" earning the nods.Those left out included Elton John's "Hello Hello" from "Gnomeo & Juliet" and Pink's "Bridge of Light" in "Happy Feet Two." Madonna's Golden Globe-winning song "Masterpiece" from "W.E." had already been ruled ineligible by the Academy.