Best Actress Nominees

Carey Mulligan, An Education

At just 24 years old, this British actress has accomplished what many Hollywood veterans only dream of. Mulligan got her start in 2005 when she landed the role of Kitty Bennet in the acclaimed remake of Pride & Prejudice. Then, Mulligan co-starred on the British television drama Bleak House and took small roles in high-profile films like Brothers and Public Enemies.

In 2009, critics began to take notice of this Audrey Hepburn lookalike with the release of An Education, the coming-of-age story of Jenny, a 16-year-old girl growing up near London in the 1960s. Jenny—played brilliantly by Mulligan—almost gives up her dream of attending Oxford University after she falls for a man twice her age.