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Five Celebs to Watch at the 2013 Oscars

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Portland chapter.

Just because it is the last show of the thrilling and glamorous awards show season, that doesn’t mean the Academy Awards (or, as it was officially rebranded on February 20, the Oscars) are the least exciting. As the oldest award ceremony in the media, the Oscars have long been considered one of the most credible and modeled after awards shows, such as the Grammy Awards (for music), the Emmy Awards (for television), and the Tony Awards (for theatre).

The Oscars of 2013 are no different – as the 85th Academy Awards takes place tonight, February 24th, it aims to not only blow past shows out of the water, but end the awards season with a bang.

With sub-par performances from past hosts casting a dull shine onto the awards show past years, Seth MacFarlane has shown promise for tonight’s Oscars with his no-holds-barred humor and quick-witted cleverness.

Along with MacFarlane, other promising actors to watch that will make your Oscars experience most enjoyable include Rachel Mwanza, Anne Hathaway, Jennifer Lawrence, and Ben Affleck – read on to see why these five are the stars of this 85th Academy Awards!

Photo Source: Thatish

Rachel Mwanza

While she may not be on your radar yet, Rachel Mwanza soon will be – this 16-year-old isn’t just a star because of her incredible role in Rebelle (War Witch). From being abandoned by her parents as a child and living as a street kid, to having arrangements made for her education and housing until she is 18-years-old, Mwanza has truly encountered a Cinderella-esque story. For someone who couldn’t read or write when she was first cast as “Komona” in Rebelle (War Witch), Mwanza seems to be just starting her reign as an incredible actress in Hollywood, and everyone from fellow stars to viewers are happy that she was able to obtain a visa from her war-torn country of Democratic Republic of the Congo just in time for the Academy Awards. While she wasn’t personally nominated for her role in Rebelle (War Witch), the movie itself was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film, and she herself has won Best Actress from the Berlin Film Festival, the Tribeca Film Festival, and the Vancouver Film Critics Circle.

Photo Source: Beauty is Diverse

Quvenzhane’ Wallis

Not only is she the youngest nominee in Oscar history for Best Actress for her role in Beasts of the Southern Wild, but this 9-year-old (best known as “Little Q”) also has top dog style (literally). With her role as “Hushpuppy” in Beasts, the actress herself loves dogs, and even adorns them with tiaras when she accessorizes them alongside her dress at awards shows. Little Q is set to continue capturing America’s hearts, especially with her upcoming role in “Annie” alongside Will Smith’s spunky daughter, Willow Smith.

Photo Source: US Magazine

Jennifer Lawrence

Since her breakout role in Winter’s Bone, Jennifer Lawrence has become America’s sweetheart almost overnight. As our favorite “Girl on Fire” in The Hunger Games and a stunning young widow in The Silver Linings Playbook, even the most obsessed Bradley Cooper and Liam Hemsworth fans can’t find the heart to hate her. This down-to-earth actress not only has acting prowess, but has only begun to hit her stride – only the most socially-removed-celeb-haters wouldn’t think so. Plus, she remembers the little people that she grew up with – check out a picture with one of her middle school friends at a past show.

Photo Source: Huffington Post

Ben Affleck

Although he missed being nominated for Best Director, Ben Affleck hasn’t missed much else – largely argued as his best directorial performance yet, Argo has been nominated for seven Oscars and has already taken wins at the Golden Globes, Critics’ Choice Awards, Directors Guild of America, the Screen Actors Guild and the Producers Guild of America. As an incredible actor and a budding director, Jennifer Garner’s husband proves to be a stunner as each year passes, and proves that true talent only gets better with time.

Photo Source: Entertainment Weekly

Seth MacFarlane

Tonight’s 85th Academy Awards is hosted by a man who is more infamous for his voice than he is for his face – Seth MacFarlane, the celebrated creator of Family Guy and Ted, might have been a shocker as the selected host for this years Oscars, but has enough experience. As the host of “The Roast of Charlie Sheen” and “The Roast of David Hasselhoff,” MacFarlane has had his fair share of humorous cleverness around celebrity A-listers. At these Oscars, you’ll experience not only his cutting jokes, but an opening performance, including a song and dance featuring a certain Harry Potter character.

 

Also published on: http://363news.wordpress.com

Hailing from eastern Washington, Julia attends the University of Portland in Oregon, as a Communication Studies major with an emphasis on Journalism. As a magazine and book junkie, Julia reads everything (and anything) she can get her hands on, especially those passionate on young adult culture and entertainment. A woman that gets stir-crazy easily, Julia has been fortunate to have traveled many summers in a row to foreign countries, including a study abroad course in Austria, Germany, and Great Britain. Since a ripe age, she has grown and cultivated her passion and dream of working for a magazine and spreading awareness as well as happiness through the tips of her fingers. Always finding time for herself, Julia can frequently be found quoting movie lines (most frequently Will Ferrell or Vince Vaughn), having a 90's dance party with her roommates, or rereading "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" for the 40th time.