Mickey Rourke
Golden Globe winner Mickey Rourke earned his first Oscar nomination with a best-actor nod for "The Wrestler."
Kate Winslet
Kate Winslet is nominated for a 2009 best actress Academy Award for her role in "The Reader." "I'm extremely happy to have been nominated," the actress said. "Playing Hanna Schmitz will always remain one of the biggest challenges I've ever been blessed with."
Robert Downey Jr.
Robert Downey Jr. earned a best-supporting actor nomination for his role as Kirk Lazarus in "Tropic Thunder." The actor's impressive comeback in 2008 also included the summer superhero hit "Iron Man."
Heath Ledger
As expected, Heath Ledger earned a supporting-actor nomination for "The Dark Knight" on the one-year anniversary of his death from an accidental overdose of prescription drugs. Before his death, Ledger's reinvention of the Joker as a mad-dog anarchist already was bringing him Oscar buzz. After he died, an almost mythical aura(气氛) grew around the actor, helping fuel a record $158.4 milllion opening weekend for the Batman film last summer.
Josh Brolin
Josh Brolin earned a supporting-actor Oscar nod for starring as real-life San Francisco city supervisor Dan White in "Milk."
Taraji P. Henson
Taraji P. Henson (center right) earned her first Oscar nomination with a supporting actress nod for her role as Queenie, who takes in the very young and very old infant Benjamin in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button." The film led all contenders on Thursady, Jan. 22, with 13 nominations.
Penelope Cruz
Penelope Cruz, who stars as Maria Elena in the Woody Allen film "Vicky Cristina Barcelona," earned a supporting-actress Oscar nomination. The actres was previouly nominated for "Volver."
Meryl Streep
Meryl Streep already had more Oscar nominations than any other actor before earning her 15th on Thursday, a best-actress nod for her role as Sister Aloysius Beauvier in "Doubt." The drama set at a Roman Catholic school had four of the 20 acting nominations. Streep has two previous wins from her many nominations.
Anne Hathaway
Anne Hathaway earned a best-actress Oscar nomination for "Rachel Getting Married," in which she plays a troubled young woman who leaves rehab to attend her sister's wedding.