A Fun Little 21-Question Oscars Trivia Challenge - PLAY NOW!
Lights, camera, trivia! How well do you know the films, stars, and unforgettable moments that made Academy Awards history? Put your movie knowledge in the spotlight with this 21-question Oscars challenge. Ready to play? Choose one answer for each question, then see whether your Oscar knowledge deserves a standing ovation. And don't miss the Oscars live Sunday, March 14, 2027 on ABC.
1. For which comedy did Tom Hanks receive his first Oscar nomination?
A. A League of Their Own
B. Sleepless in Seattle
C. Splash
D. Big
2. Which Oscar host joked, "Jack Palance just bungee-jumped off the Hollywood sign"?
A. Steve Martin
B. Billy Crystal
C. Ellen DeGeneres
D. Chris Rock
3. Though it didn't take home the Best Picture Oscar, which film was briefly announced as the winner during a ceremony?
A. Fargo
B. La La Land
C. Brokeback Mountain
D. Saving Private Ryan
4. For which movie did Morgan Freeman receive his very first Oscar nomination?
A. The Shawshank Redemption
B. Driving Miss Daisy
C. Million Dollar Baby
D. Street Smart
5. Sigourney Weaver earned an Oscar nomination in 1989 for Gorillas in the Mist—and for which other film?
A. Working Girl
B. Ghostbusters
C. The Ice Storm
D. The Year of Living Dangerously
6. Costume designer Lizzy Gardiner made headlines at the 67th Academy Awards with a dress made of what?
A. Blue Post-it Notes
B. American Express cards
C. Nestlé Crunch wrappers
D. Starbucks coffee lids
7. Which was the first film based on a TV series to receive a Best Picture nomination?
A. The Untouchables
B. Star Trek
C. The Muppet Movie
D. The Fugitive
8. Which film beat The Wizard of Oz for Best Picture of 1939?
A. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
B. Gone with the Wind
C. Stagecoach
D. Wuthering Heights
9. How long did the awards ceremony last at the first Academy Awards banquet in 1929?
A. 1 hour
B. 4 hours
C. 2 hours, 30 minutes
D. 15 minutes
10. Which Oscar-winning director once purchased "Rosebud," the sled from Citizen Kane?
A. Martin Scorsese
B. Steven Spielberg
C. Clint Eastwood
D. Warren Beatty
11. In 1951, who made her only appearance at an Academy Awards ceremony?
A. Bette Davis
B. Judy Garland
C. Vivien Leigh
D. Marilyn Monroe
12. Who escorted his new wife, Nancy Davis, to the 1952 Academy Awards ceremony?
A. Bob Hope
B. Ronald Reagan
C. Frank Sinatra
D. Kirk Douglas
13. Oscar winner Marisa Tomei's character in My Cousin Vinny was an "expert" witness in what area?
A. Books
B. Insects
C. Automobiles
D. Grits
14. What competitive category was newly-added to the Oscars lineup in 2026?
A. Stunts
B. Props
C. Casting
D. Butter Flavoring on Popcorn
15. For which film did nine-year-old Justin Henry receive an Oscar nomination?
A. Kramer vs. Kramer
B. Ordinary People
C. Harold and Maude
D. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
16. Which Oscar winner delivered the memorable line, "Greed, for lack of a better word, is good"?
A. Joe Pesci in GoodFellas
B. Michael Douglas in Wall Street
C. Kevin Spacey in The Usual Suspects
D. Cuba Gooding Jr. in Jerry Maguire
17. Which Best Picture winner features the line, "I coulda been a contender"?
A. Rocky
B. West Side Story
C. Chariots of Fire
D. On the Waterfront
18. Which Oscar-winning film inspired a long-running TV series?
A. The Apartment
B. In the Heat of the Night
C. The French Connection
D. Around the World in 80 Days
19. Who attended the 1956 Academy Awards less than a month before becoming a princess?
A. Doris Day
B. Natalie Wood
C. Grace Kelly
D. Audrey Hepburn
20. What best describes Paul Newman's Oscar-winning role in The Color of Money?
A. Race-car driver
B. Alcoholic lawyer
C. Bank robber
D. Pool shark
21. David Niven described the 1974 Oscar streaker as a man who was doing what?
A. "Showing his shortcomings"
B. "Hanging out in Hollywood"
C. "Gearing up for the after-party"
D. "Auditioning for Boogie Nights 2"
ANSWERS & FUN FACTS
1. For which comedy did Tom Hanks receive his first Oscar nomination? D. Big
Fun fact: Tom Hanks and Robert Loggia performed the famous giant-piano routine themselves—even though stunt doubles were standing by.
2. Which Oscar host joked, "Jack Palance just bungee-jumped off the Hollywood sign"? B. Billy Crystal
Fun fact: Billy Crystal's joke followed Jack Palance's famously energetic one-armed push-ups during his acceptance speech.
3. Though it didn't take home the Best Picture Oscar, which film was briefly announced as the winner during a ceremony? B. La La Land
Fun fact: Ryan Gosling's La La Land tied the all-time record with 14 Oscar nominations—and was briefly announced as Best Picture before the award was corrected to Moonlight.
4. For which movie did Morgan Freeman receive his very first Oscar nomination? D. Street Smart
Fun fact: Morgan Freeman was nearly 50 when Street Smart became his Hollywood breakthrough—and he later called Fast Black his favorite role of his career.
5. Sigourney Weaver earned an Oscar nomination in 1989 for Gorillas in the Mist—and for which other film? A. Working Girl
Fun fact: Sigourney Weaver became the first performer nominated in two acting categories in the same year to lose both Oscars—after winning both corresponding Golden Globes.
6. Costume designer Lizzy Gardiner made headlines at the 67th Academy Awards with a dress made of what? B. American Express cards
Fun fact: Lizzy Gardiner's gown was assembled from 254 expired American Express Gold Cards.
7. Which was the first film based on a TV series to receive a Best Picture nomination? D. The Fugitive
Fun fact: The movie's spectacular train crash used a real locomotive smashing into a real bus—and the wreckage is still visible beside the tracks in North Carolina.
8. Which film beat The Wizard of Oz for Best Picture of 1939? B. Gone with the Wind
Fun fact: Hattie McDaniel's performance in Gone with the Wind made her the first Black person ever to be nominated for—and win—an Academy Award.
9. How long did the awards ceremony last at the first Academy Awards banquet in 1929? D. 15 minutes
Fun fact: The first ceremony was a private dinner for about 270 guests, and the winners had already been announced.
10. Which Oscar-winning director once purchased "Rosebud," the sled from Citizen Kane? B. Steven Spielberg
Fun fact: Steven Spielberg bought one surviving "Rosebud" sled for $60,500 in 1982—but another sled from the film sold for a staggering $14.75 million in 2025.
11. In 1951, who made her only appearance at an Academy Awards ceremony? D. Marilyn Monroe
Fun fact: Marilyn Monroe appeared at the 1951 ceremony to present the Oscar for Sound Recording.
12. Who escorted his new wife, Nancy Davis, to the 1952 Academy Awards ceremony? B. Ronald Reagan
Fun fact: Ronald Reagan and Nancy Davis had married just days before attending the ceremony together.
13. Oscar winner Marisa Tomei's character in My Cousin Vinny was an "expert" witness in what area? C. Automobiles
Fun fact: Mona Lisa Vito cracks the case by identifying the getaway car as a 1963 Pontiac Tempest—not the defendants' 1964 Buick Skylark—based on the tire marks and rear suspension.
14. What competitive category was newly-added to the Oscars lineup in 2026? C. Casting
Fun fact: It was the first competitive category added since Best Animated Feature joined the lineup in 2001.
15. For which film did nine-year-old Justin Henry receive an Oscar nomination? A. Kramer vs. Kramer
Fun fact: The famous scene in which Billy skips dinner and defiantly eats ice cream was completely improvised by Justin Henry and Dustin Hoffman—and director Robert Benton liked it so much that he kept it in the film.
16. Which Oscar winner delivered the memorable line, "Greed, for lack of a better word, is good"? B. Michael Douglas in Wall Street
Fun fact: Michael Douglas's Oscar-winning role as Gordon Gekko was first offered to Warren Beatty and Richard Gere—but both actors turned it down.
17. Which Best Picture winner features the line, "I coulda been a contender"? D. On the Waterfront
Fun fact: Marlon Brando reportedly left before Rod Steiger filmed his close-ups for the famous taxi scene, so a crew member had to read Brando's lines from off-camera.
18. Which Oscar-winning film inspired a long-running TV series? B. In the Heat of the Night
Fun fact: The TV adaptation of In the Heat of the Night ran for eight seasons and more than 140 episodes.
19. Who attended the 1956 Academy Awards less than a month before becoming a princess? C. Grace Kelly
Fun fact: Grace Kelly attended as a presenter shortly before marrying Prince Rainier III of Monaco.
20. What best describes Paul Newman's Oscar-winning role in The Color of Money? D. Pool shark
Fun fact: After six previous acting nominations without a win, Paul Newman finally earned his first competitive Oscar for The Color of Money—but he skipped the ceremony and wasn't there to accept it.
21. David Niven described the 1974 Oscar streaker as a man who was doing what? A. "Showing his shortcomings"
Fun fact: The streaker reportedly posed as a journalist to get backstage, then ran past David Niven flashing a peace sign while Niven was introducing Elizabeth Taylor.
