While awards like the Golden Globes or the Critics Choice Awards are highly coveted awards, there’s no denying that the Academy Awards are the biggest honors in show business. After all, the Oscars, which are happening this Sunday, March 10, are when stars really pull out all the stops, be it in their red-carpet fashion or their incredible acceptance speeches.
So, in honor of this weekend’s big event, we’ve decided to take a trip down memory lane to see what our favorite stars looked like (and who they showed up with) at their very first Oscar appearances. From Robert De Niro’s handsome look at the 1981 Oscars to Jodie Foster’s first appearance when she was only a teenager in 1975, these photos are all cemented in award show history.
To see so many of this year’s nominees during their first time at the Oscars and much more, scroll below!
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Robert De Niro
Image Credit: Bettmann Archive Robert De Niro, who is nominated in 2024 for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Killers of the Flower Moon, first graced the Oscars in 1981. That year, he won the Best Male Performance award for his role in Raging Bull.
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Meryl Streep
Image Credit: Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images Acting legend Meryl Streep attended her very first Oscar in 1979 alongside her ex-husband Don Gummer.
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Jane Fonda
Image Credit: Earl Leaf/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images Jane Fonda was all smiles when she attended the 1962 Academy Awards with her ex-husband director Roger Vadim. The two were married from 1965 to 1973.
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Annette Bening
Image Credit: Frank Trapper/Corbis via Getty Images Annette Bening, who is nominated for her role in Nyad this year, looked beautiful in this golden dress with bold red lips at the 1991 Oscars. That night, she walked the carpet with ex-boyfriend and fellow actor Ed Begley Jr.
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Jodie Foster
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive/Penske Media via Getty Images Jodie Foster was just a teenager when she attended her very first Academy Awards in 1975. For the night, the actress, who is also nominated for her work in Nyad this year, wore a floral dress and a t-shirt underneath.
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Barbra Streisand
Image Credit: Fotos International/Getty Images Barbra Streisand showed off her curls at the 1968 Academy Awards as she posed with actor Sammy Davis Jr. as he accepted the Oscar on behalf of Leslie Bricusse, who received the award for the song “Talk to The Animals” from the film, Doctor Dolittle.
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Helen Mirren
Image Credit: Ted Dayton/WWD/Penske Media via Getty Images Elegant as always, Helen Mirren looked ultra-chic at the 1995 Oscars in this white blazer with a matching skirt and headpiece.
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Sarah Jessica Parker & Robert Downey Jr.
Image Credit: Barry King/WireImage Exes Sarah Jessica Parker and Robert Downey Jr. made their Oscars debut together at the 61st Annual Academy Awards in 1989. The pair dated from 1984 to 1991 before calling it quits.
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Al Pacino
Image Credit: Michael Montfort/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images Al Pacino looked dapper at the 46th Academy Awards in 1974 in his first-ever appearance at the awards.
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Julie Andrews
Image Credit: Bettmann Archive Julie Andrews looked like a true porcelain doll at the 1964 Oscars after presenting the Best Foreign Language Film of the Year award to Italian director Federico Fellini.
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Emma Thompson
Image Credit: Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images Emma Thompson made the press room laugh after winning the Best Actress in a Leading Role award for her role in Howard’s End.
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Mark Ruffalo
Image Credit: SGranitz/WireImage 2024’s Best Supporting Actor nominee Mark Ruffalo brought his pregnant wife Sunrise Ruffalo with him as he attended the 73rd Annual Academy Awards in 2001.
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Ryan Gosling
Image Credit: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images During his first appearance on the Oscars red carpet, Barbie star Ryan Gosling was joined by his sister Mandi and his mother Donna. A true family affair!
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Emma Stone
Image Credit: Donato Sardella/WWD/Penske Media via Getty Images Emma Stone wowed in her first Oscars appearance in this statement dress at the 2012 Academy Awards.
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Carey Mulligan
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive/Penske Media via Getty Images Carey Mulligan, who is nominated alongside Stone in the Actress in a Leading Role category for her role in Maestro, looked so sweet at the 82nd annual Academy Awards in 2010.
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Oprah Winfrey
Image Credit: Bob Riha, Jr./Getty Images Oprah Winfrey showed off her signature smile at the 1987 Oscars in this blue and silver bedazzled dress.
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Whoopi Goldberg & Michael J. Fox
Image Credit: Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images Whoopi Goldberg and Michael J. Fox attended their first Oscars side-by-side back in 1986.
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Pierce Brosnan
Image Credit: SGranitz/WireImage Pierce Brosnan looked as handsome as ever at the 68th Annual Academy Awards in 1996 next to his wife, Keely Shaye Smith.
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Leonardo DiCaprio
Image Credit: Barry King/WireImage Speaking of handsome, Leonardo DiCaprio made hearts swoon at the 66th Annual Academy Awards in 1994 when he was just 20 years old.
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Jamie Lee Curtis
Image Credit: Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images Jamie Lee Curtis looked absolutely stunning in this timeless red dress at the 46th Annual Academy Awards in 1974.
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Rita Moreno
Image Credit: Bettmann Archive Joining the list of actors who took home the award in their first-ever appearance, Rita Moreno couldn’t stop smiling as she took home the Best Supporting Actress award for West Side Story back in 1962.
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Clint Eastwood
Image Credit: Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images Clint Eastwood showed off his charming good looks at the 42nd Annual Academy Awards in 1970.
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Julia Roberts & Kiefer Sutherland
Image Credit: Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images Exes Julia Roberts and Kiefer Sutherland walked hand in hand at the 62nd Annual Academy Awards back in 1990. The two, who got engaged later that year, called it quits shortly before their 1991 wedding.
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