The radiant Laura Dern has been lighting up screens for almost five decades.
If that sounds like a rather long amount of time, it's only because Dern got her start when she was 6, playing her mother's daughter in 1973's White Lightning. Her next film, at 7, was Martin Scorsese's Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore.
But such is life for the child of acting royalty, who it was soon apparent had the goods to more than hold her own, and who has been having one hell of a run for the past few years—one that in all likelihood is going to result in an Oscar win for Best Supporting Actress tonight for her performance as polished, no-holds-barred divorce attorney Nora Fanshaw in Marriage Story.
"We long to be of service to give voice to the voiceless. And thanks to the brilliant Noah Baumbach, I got to do just that. Give voice, pay tribute, to the divorce lawyer. Long, long overdue," Dern jested at the Golden Globes, accepting one of the dozens of accolades the part has earned her.
Talk about acting one's age: Dern is turning 53 tomorrow, and we counted no fewer than 55 nominations and wins for Marriage Story, including from regional critics groups. This year so far she has run the table, collecting a Golden Globe, a SAG Award and a BAFTA, and her first Academy Award is seemingly in the bag after two previous nominations.
Of course, even if there's an upset, there is an embarrassment of riches to celebrate when it comes to Dern's storied career and presence in Hollywood over the years. So, before the big show, take a moment to learn all about the actress who seamlessly slips into every role but is also so obviously herself:
The opportunities are waiting with open arms.