Child actress Quvenzhané Wallis was born on August 28, 2003, in Houma, Louisiana, USA. Her father is a truck driver and her mother is a teacher. Regarding the origin of her name, "Quven" is a combination of her parents' names. "Zhane" means "fairy" in Swahili. She currently attends Handulas Elementary School in her hometown. Wallis auditioned for the drama film "Hush Puppies" with no acting experience. She beat out approximately 4,000 other candidates for the lead role. Director Benh Zeitlin, upon seeing Wallis at the audition, was immediately convinced she should play the lead role and even changed the script to accommodate her. Although she was only six years old at the time of filming, she brilliantly portrayed the tough role of a girl clad in torn clothes living in a confining residential area known as "Bathtub." The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in the United States in January 2012, where it won the Grand Prix. Her outstanding acting skills were also recognized at the Cannes Film Festival, where she won four awards, including the Camera d'Or, the award for best newcomer. She achieved the remarkable feat of being nominated in four major categories at the 85th Academy Awards.

On January 10, 2013, she was finally nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in the film. At the time, she was nine years old, making her the youngest Academy Award nominee in history. She appeared at the awards ceremony wearing an Armani Junior dress. This year, turning ten, she was also selected as a model for the brand's advertising campaign for the brand's 2014-2015 Autumn/Winter collection.

In 2013, she appeared in the Steven McQueen film "12 Years a Slave," starring Brad Pitt. The following year, she starred alongside Cameron Diaz in the musical film "Annie," making her one of the most talked-about actresses today. "Annie" is scheduled to be released in Japan on January 24, 2015.