Oscar Isaac facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Oscar Isaac
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Isaac in 2022
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| Born |
Óscar Isaac Hernández Estrada
March 9, 1979 Guatemala City, Guatemala
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| Education |
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| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1998–present |
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Works
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List of roles and awards |
| Spouse(s) |
Elvira Lind
(m. 2017) |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Nicole Hernandez Hammer (sister) |
Óscar Isaac Hernández Estrada (born March 9, 1979) is a famous American actor. He is known for playing many different types of characters. People say he has helped change how Latino characters are shown in Hollywood movies.
In 2017, Vanity Fair magazine called him the best actor of his generation. The New York Times also named him one of the greatest actors of the 21st century in 2020. He has won a Golden Globe Award and was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award. In 2016, Time magazine put him on their list of the 100 most influential people in the world.
Oscar Isaac was born in Guatemala. His family moved to the United States when he was a baby. As a teenager, he played in a punk band and acted in school plays. He later studied acting at the Juilliard School. He started his career with smaller roles in films.
His first big role was playing Joseph in The Nativity Story (2006). He gained more fame after starring in Inside Llewyn Davis (2013). Later, he became a global star by playing Poe Dameron in the Star Wars movies. He has also starred in TV shows like Moon Knight.
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Early Life and Education
Óscar Isaac Hernández Estrada was born in Guatemala City on March 9, 1979. His mother was from Guatemala, and his father was from Cuba. His father was a doctor. Oscar has an older sister, Nicole, who is a climate scientist. He also has a younger brother, Mike, who is a journalist.
When Oscar was five months old, his family moved to the United States. They lived in different cities like Baltimore, New Orleans, and Miami. They finally settled in Miami. Oscar became a United States citizen in 2006. He speaks both English and Spanish.
Oscar went to Westminster Christian School in southern Florida. From a young age, he loved making music and films. When he was four, he and his sister put on plays in their backyard. Around age 10, Oscar made a home movie called The Avenger. He also acted in school plays. He wrote his first play in fifth grade, which was about Noah's Ark. He enjoyed performing for people.
Oscar was a very active child. He sometimes caused trouble at school and was even expelled at one point. In 1992, Hurricane Andrew damaged his family's home in Miami. Around this time, his parents separated. Oscar moved with his mother to Palm Beach and went to a public high school. He liked his new school and started a band with friends. He learned to play guitar and kept making home movies.
At age 14, Oscar and his band played in a talent show. He went to Santaluces Community High School and finished in 1998. Oscar joined a ska punk band called The Blinking Underdogs. They even opened for the famous band Green Day. During this time, Oscar got a small part in the film Illtown (1998).
He also started acting in plays in Miami Beach. To avoid being cast in similar roles, he started using "Isaac" as his last name for auditions. He also worked at a hospital to earn money.
Oscar was not sure about his career at first. He thought about joining the Marines. But instead, he decided to study performing arts at Miami Dade College. He continued to act in plays. While visiting New York City for a play, he auditioned for the Juilliard School and got in. He graduated from Juilliard with a degree in 2005.
Acting Career
Early Roles (2005–2010)
After graduating, Oscar Isaac continued to make music and perform in small clubs. He also acted in plays like Two Gentlemen of Verona (2005). In 2006, he played Joseph in the film The Nativity Story. This movie was the first to have its world premiere at the Vatican City. Oscar wanted to show Joseph as a real person.
He also played Romeo in a production of Romeo and Juliet (2007). For the rest of the 2000s, Oscar had smaller roles in films. These included Che (2008) and Agora (2009). He won an award for his role as political leader José Ramos-Horta in the film Balibo (2009).
In 2010, Oscar played the villain King John in the film Robin Hood. He enjoyed playing a villain because it allowed him to show more sides of the character. The film was successful, earning $321 million worldwide.
Becoming Well-Known (2011–2014)
Oscar's career grew in 2011 with several supporting roles. He played an asylum orderly in Sucker Punch. He also appeared in Madonna's film W.E. (2011). Later, he played a musician in 10 Years, where he sang his own song.
He then played an ex-convict in the action drama Drive (2011). Oscar worked with the director to make his character more interesting. Critics praised his performance in the film. Drive earned over $81 million.
In 2012, Oscar appeared in four films. He played a freedom fighter in For Greater Glory. He also had a small but important role in The Bourne Legacy. Critics noted how he made his character feel real, even with limited screen time.
In 2013, Oscar starred as the main character in the musical drama Inside Llewyn Davis. He played a folk singer struggling in 1961 New York City. Oscar learned a special guitar technique for the role. The film and his performance received great praise. This role helped him become a well-known actor. He was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for this film.
In 2014, Oscar starred with Jessica Chastain in A Most Violent Year. He played Abel Morales, a business owner trying to protect his company. Oscar researched the history of Latin Americans in the 1950s and 1960s for the role. Critics praised his strong performance. He won an award for Best Actor for this film.
Mainstream Success (2015–2017)
In 2015, Oscar played Nathan Bateman, a scientist who creates a human-like robot, in the science fiction film Ex Machina. He based his character's look on director Stanley Kubrick. The film was very successful, and Oscar's acting was highly praised.
He then took on his first main TV role in the HBO miniseries Show Me a Hero. He played politician Nick Wasicsko. Oscar won a Golden Globe Award for his performance.
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Oscar also became a global star as Poe Dameron, an X-wing pilot, in Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015). He loved Star Wars movies as a child. He suggested that his character should be from the moon Yavin 4, which appeared in the first Star Wars film and was filmed in his home country, Guatemala. The film was a huge success, earning $2 billion worldwide.
In 2016, he played the villain Apocalypse in X-Men: Apocalypse. He wore a heavy costume and a lot of makeup for the role. He also starred in The Promise, a historical drama.
In 2017, Oscar starred as Prince Hamlet in a play called Hamlet. Critics praised his performance on stage. That same year, he appeared in the black comedy Suburbicon. His performance was called the best part of the film. Oscar also returned as Poe Dameron in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. This film was also very successful, earning $1.3 billion.
Recent Work (2018–Present)
In 2018, Oscar filmed Annihilation and Star Wars: The Last Jedi at the same time. He also became a producer for the first time with the historical drama Operation Finale (2018). In this film, he played Peter Malkin, an Israeli agent who captured a Nazi criminal. Oscar wanted to help tell stories that are important.
He also voiced a character in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018). After finishing Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker in 2018, he planned to take a break. But he was soon cast as Duke Leto Atreides in Dune (2021). In The Rise of Skywalker, he played Poe Dameron again.
In 2019, Oscar voiced Gomez Addams in The Addams Family, an animated film. Many fans had suggested he play this role because he looked like the actor who played Gomez in earlier films. The movie was a success.
In 2021, he starred with Jessica Chastain again in the miniseries Scenes from a Marriage. This show explored themes of marriage and divorce. Their acting together was highly praised. He was nominated for several awards for this role.
Oscar then starred in the crime drama The Card Counter. For this role, he learned about penmanship. Critics praised his performance, calling it one of his best. He also voiced Gomez Addams again in The Addams Family 2. Then, he appeared in Dune as the father of the main character. Dune was nominated for 10 Academy Awards and earned over $400 million.
In 2022, Oscar starred in the Marvel Cinematic Universe series Moon Knight. He played the main superhero, a man with different personalities. He also helped produce the show. Oscar found it challenging to play each personality. He gave them different accents and even added Spanish to one character. Moon Knight received positive reviews, and Oscar's acting was highly praised.
In 2023, Oscar starred in a play called The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window. Later that year, he voiced Spider-Man 2099 in the animated film Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. The film was very successful.
Oscar Isaac will next appear in the drama In the Hand of Dante. He will also voice Miguel O'Hara again in Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse. He will play Victor Frankenstein in a horror film called Frankenstein.
Personal Life
Oscar Isaac likes to keep his private life simple. He is close with his family. He is married to Danish film director Elvira Lind. They met in 2012 and got married in 2017. They have two sons, Eugene (born in 2017) and Mads (born in 2019). He lives in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
See also
In Spanish: Oscar Isaac para niños
