Posted: Tue., Nov. 18, 2008, 12:50pm PT

Supporting actress cheat sheet

An early look at possible supporting actress noms

By Variety Staff

Amy Adams in 'Doubt'

Amy Adams
("Doubt")

• Previously Oscar nominated for "Junebug."
  
• Says she never got over her stage fright when working with Streep on "Doubt." Instead she says she "just had to learn to deal with it."
  
• Appeared on several shows on the WB, including "Charmed," "Zoe, Duncan, Jack and Jane," "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Smallville."

Penelope Cruz
("Vicky Cristina Barcelona")

• Previously Oscar nominated for "Volver."
  
• Reteams with "Volver" helmer Pedro Almodovar in next spring's "Broken Embraces."
  
• Will be honored in December at the IFP's Gotham Awards and in January at the Santa Barbara Intl. Film Festival.

Viola Davis
("Doubt")

• No previous Oscar nomination.
  
• Is a regular on primetime, appearing in such TV series as "CSI," "Without a Trace," "Brothers & Sisters" and "Law & Order: SVU."
  
• Has appeared in four Steven Soderbergh films: "Traffic," "Syriana," "Out of Sight" and "Solaris."

Taraji Henson
("The Curious Case of Benjamin Button")

• No previous Oscar nomination.
  
• Received critical acclaim for her performance in "Hustle and Flow" (2005) and has landed a three-episode arc on ABC's "Eli Stone."
  
• Begrudgingly had to set aside her garage sale for an audition with "Button" helmer David Fincher.

Marisa Tomei
("The Wrestler")

• Won an Oscar for "My Cousin Vinny" and was nominated for "In the Bedroom."
  
• Her first credited role was in the 1984 Garry Marshall-directed pic "The Flamingo Kid."
  
• Did voiceover work on "The Simpsons," playing a movie star in love with Homer's neighbor, Ned Flanders.

Kate Winslet
("The Reader")

• "The Reader" marks the first time Winslet is working with fellow Brit Ralph Fiennes.
  
• Is the first actress to receive four Oscar nominations before turning 30 years old.
  
• Turned down the role that Gwyneth Paltrow won the Oscar for in "Shakespeare in Love."