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Who Quvenzhane Wallis? Well, she’s the 9-year-old Oscar-nominated actress from the film Beasts of a Southern Wild, which you can watch for $3.99 on Amazon if you’re interested. 

This morning, after Quvenzhane made history for being the youngest actress nominated for an Oscar, the world needed to know who she was and exactly just how to pronounce her name. (Kwa Ven Zha Nay!)

Funny thing is, Quvenzhane’s name, which makes her as interesting and unique as anyone in recent memory, almost lost her the career-making role as Hush Puppy in Beasts. 

She recalls: 

“They called two days later and said they were looking for “Nahzy” and my mom said, “who’s that? You must be looking for ‘Nazy, but her real name is Quvenzhané anyways.”

And they said, “oh we must have got mixed up and called the wrong number” and they almost hung up, but my mom caught them and told them I call myself ‘Nazy. My mom was like “phew.” It almost got away.”

Despite her unusual name, she’s a normal little girl who hates her brothers, “but I love them too.”

Quvenzhane has big dreams, so big that she plans on directing a movie called Fat Kids Don’t Get Gifts On Christmas before she turns 12. No word on what the flick would be about yet, but judging by the title alone, we’ll be lining up to see that one when it comes out! 

Nazy is also a foodie. While filming the movie Beasts in Louisiana, she found a new favorite food: “The crawfish. The crawfish was the most tastiest thing I ever ate.”

For this 9-year-old actress, the best part of filming was when the seafood came. Whenever it was time to chomp on crabs or any other seafood, she perked up! 

The filmmakers wanted to make sure the young actress vibed with her onscreen father, but she tells the story of how she “fired numerous candidates to play Wink,” but the one who won the role of her father won over Quvenzhane with a bag full of sweets. Figures, since the actor Dwight Henry owns a bakery from a place across the street where they filmed!

Quvenzhane has a bunch of favorite places in her hometown of Houma, Louisiana – just like any regular kid, she loves Chuck E. Cheese and the skating ring. 

And one of Nazy’s friends even knew she would make it to the Oscars.

One day one of the kids from my school went to the set, and the next day at school she was so excited and asking me when I’m gonna be on the red carpet when are the Oscars gonna come, when can I do anything with you? I’m like, “come on, let me be like I was, like a normal little girl.”

After being nominated for an Oscar, Quvenzhane won’t be so normal anymore. She’s extraordinary. 

Source: Black Film