Gyllenhaal plays LAPD officer Brian Taylor. He has one previous Oscar nomination ("Brokeback Mountain").
Waltz plays dentist-turned-bounty hunter King Schultz, who travels with Django to rescue Django's wife. Waltz won an Oscar on his only previous nomination ("Inglourious Basterds").
Magaro plays a teenager in 1960s New Jersey who starts a rock band with his friends. He has no previous Oscar nominations.
Jack Black plays real-life funeral director and convicted murderer Bernie Tiede in the black comedy "Bernie." He has no previous Oscar nominations.
Hopkins plays renowned film director Alfred Hitchcock in this biopic which focuses on the making of "Psycho." Hopkins won on the first ("Silence of the Lamb") of his four Oscar nominations.
Tom plays Lucas, whose family is caught up in the middle of the 2004 tsunami in Thailand. This is his screen debut.
This mark the teenager's film debut.
Trintignant plays Georges, an elderly man whose marriage is tested when his wife suffers an attack. He has no previous Oscar nominations.
Damon plays a salesman for an energy company who tries to open up a small town for natural-gas fracking. He won an Oscar for writing "Good Will Hunting," and has two previous acting nominations ("Good Will" and "Invictus").
Krasinski plays an environmentalist trying to protect a small town from natural-gas fracking. He has no previous Oscar nominations.
Phoenix plays Freddie Quell, a drifter who assists a popular faith leader following World War II. He has two previous Oscar nominations ("Gladiator" and "Walk the Line").
Schoenaerts plays Ali, a young father who falls for a killer whale trainer (Marion Cotillard) who suffers a terrible accident. He has no previous Oscar nominations.
Gere plays Robert Miller, a hedge fund manager who makes a critical error. Gere has no previous Oscar nominations.
Freeman plays Bilbo Baggins, a Hobbit who helps reclaim a stoeln treasure stolen by the dragon Smaug. He has no previous Oscar nominations.
Hawkes plays a man in an iron lung who hires a sex surrogate to take his virginity. He has one previous Oscar nomination: Best Supporting Actor for "Winter's Bone."
Foxx plays the title character, a former slave who sets out to rescue his wife from a plantation owner. He previously won Best Actor for "Ray" and received a Best Supporting Actor nomination for "Collateral."
Jackman plays Jean Valjean, who struggles with the law after stealing bread to feed his sister's children. He has no previous Oscar nominations.
Washington plays an airline pilot who saves a plane from crashing. He has won two Oscars ("Glory," "Training Day") out of five total nominations.
Day-Lewis plays Abraham Lincoln in Steven Spielberg's biopic. He has two previous Oscar wins ("My Left Foot" and "There Will Be Blood") in four total nominations.
Craig returns for his third film as James Bond. He has no previous Oscar nominations.
Cooper plays Pat Solitano, a former teacher who moves back in with his mother and tries to reconcile with his ex-wife following a stint in a mental institution. He has no previous Oscar nominations.
Murray plays President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who has an affair with his distant cousin during a weekend with the King and Queen of England. Murray has one previous Oscar nomination ("Lost in Translation").
Affleck plays a CIA agent who attempts to rescue American hostages during the Iran Hostage Crisis in 1979. Affleck won an Oscar for co-writing "Good Will Hunting." He has no previous acting nominations.