Young Actresses Will Follow In The Footsteps Of...

Within the past few years, it seems that more young actresses have frequented the Academy Awards for their noteworthy performances in movies alongside those who have had far more experience than them in the industry. Last year, Jennifer Lawrence won her first Oscar for Best Actress in Silver Linings Playbook, and we weren’t complaining because it’s JLaw. This year, she has been nominated for Best Support Actress from her role in American Hustle and as the only woman who could possibly rock an 80s updo 24/7 and still look unreasonably attractive.

Last year, Lawrence faced competition like Jessica Chastain for Zero Dark Thirty, Naomi Watts for The Impossible, and Emmanuelle Riva for Amour. Yet she wasn’t alone, as an actress even younger than her, Quvenzhane Wallis, was nominated for her performance in Beasts of the Southern Wild. Although not “old” in any sense of the word, mostly because my mother would be disappointed in me for saying so, Chastain, Watts and even Riva (at the oh-so-young age of 86) lost to someone several years younger than them. Young actresses like Lawrence are making their stamp on society, taking on the attention that actresses like Helen Mirren, Meryl Streep and Judi Dench once saw when they were in their prime. The signs are there, and it’s evident who young actresses like Lawrence will follow in the footsteps of.

Jennifer Lawrence —> Meryl Streep

Okay so this was a given. There has been much discussion over the fact that Lawrence is taking her career down the same path as Streep, becoming the youngest three-time Oscar nominee. With Streep being the actress with the most Oscar nominations ever, these two go together like Dior dresses on Academy Award staircases — REALLY WELL because we all loved it. Jon Stewart once told JLaw that she looked like a young Helen Mirren when he interviewed her on The Daily Show, but that doesn’t change the fact that Lawrence and Streep are still acting doppelgangers.

Hailee Steinfeld —> Sigourney Weaver

After seeing Steinfeld in True Grit, I have been a fan ever since. Her performance as Mattie Ross was one of the most impressive I have ever seen from a young actress and the fact that she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in her early teens displays her acting prowess. Although Steinfeld is still early in her career, it's evident that she knows how to be badass like Weaver is in pretty much every single movie she’s ever been in. Although Ender’s Game probably would have been better if not so freakishly long for what its plot was, I enjoyed Steinfeld’s performance in it, and only hope that she will take on more roles in the sci-fi/fantasy area of film. Maybe she can get some tips from Zoe Saldana who too has her foot in everything space related.

Saoirse Ronan —> Cate Blanchett

You all saw Hanna, right? Please tell me that Ronan and Blanchett do not look like the same person. Blanchett, who has typically found her niche playing characters in major dramas, should act as a mentor for Ronan who too has seen her time in serious films like Atonement and Lovely Bones.

Abigail Breslin —> Helen Mirren

The two actresses have already starred in film together, taking their respective roles in Raising Helen alongside Kate Hudson. Both actresses should also be proud of the amount of movies they have made their mark on, with Breslin’s claim to fame having started in 2002 as Bo Hess in Signs. Breslin has already played alongside major actresses like Julia Roberts, Meryl Streep and Halle Berry, raising the bar and proving she can not only act with these leading ladies but will become one too.

Chloe Moretz —> Jamie Lee Curtis

Once upon a time, Curtis was in basically every remake of Halloween that you could ever imagine. I’m sure many of you are thinking, “Oh yes, Jamie Lee Curtis. I loved her in Freaky Friday,” while you’re sucking down your Activia, but the actress’s major claim to fame was actually her title as “scream queen.” Although she has starred in many a movie, her work in films like The Fog, Prom Night and Road Games is what she garnered most of her attention for. Similarly, Moretz major film debut was in 2005 when she played Chelsea Lutz in The Amityville Horror. Since then, she has made her mark in a wide range of movie genres but seems to gravitate toward horrors like Room 6, Wicked Little Things, The Eye, Let Me In, and Carrie.

Emma Stone —> Emma Thompson

Thompson has pretty much proven that she’s a jack-of-all-trades and doesn’t limit herself to a specific movie type. The actress received an Oscar for Best Actress in Howards End and for Best Screenplay for Sense and Sensibility. Yet the list of movies she’s starred has ranged from anything like dark and serious to romantic and humorous. Although we have seen Stone partake in her fair share of comedy movies since the beginning of her career, she surprised us all with her impressive performance as Skeeter Phelan in The Help. The two actresses share their ability to take on a variety of characters and successfully portraying them.