It’s Oscars night! New Jerseyans up for awards at this year’s event

2-minute read

• New Jersey actors, a director and cinematographer are nominated for awards.
• An Oscar-nominated Best Picture film was even filmed in NJ.

A full display of New Jersey talent can be seen at this year’s Oscars.

New Jersey actors, a director and cinematographer are nominated for numerous awards. The Garden State was even used as the backdrop for an Oscar-nominated Best Picture film.

The 2025 Oscars will be held this Sunday March 2 at 7 p.m. eastern time. You can watch the award show live on ABC or stream on Hulu.

Here is how New Jersey played its part in helping shape this year’s list of movies at the Oscars.

‘A Complete Unknown’ filmed in New Jersey

The Bob Dylan biopic, “A Complete Unknown,” featuring Timothée Chalamet, was filmed all across New Jersey.

The Oscar-nominated movie filmed near the Jersey Shore at Bahrs Landing in Highlands, Cape May and at White Mana in Jersey City this past spring.

“A Complete Unknown” is nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars. Timothée Chalamet is nominated for best Actor in a Leading Role, Edward Norton is nominated for best Actor in a Supporting Role and Monica Barba is nominated for best Actress in a Supporting Role.

The film was also nominated for best Costume Design, Directing, Sound and Writing in an adapted screenplay.

New Jersey actors nominated at the Oscars

Zoe Saldaña is nominated for best Actress in a Supporting Role for her performance as Rita Mora Castro in the movie Emilia Pérez.

Saldaña was born in Passaic in 1978. She was raised in New York City and spent some time in her childhood in the Dominican Republic.

The Hispanic movie star previously starred in blockbuster films such as “Avatar,” “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “Star Trek.”

Sebastian Stan is nominated for best Actor in a Leading Role at the Oscar’s. He played the role of a young Donald Trump in the movie “The Apprentice.”

Stan went to Rutgers University in New Brunswick where he studied theater at the Mason Gross School of Arts. He graduated in 2005.

The actor, who also played the “Winter Soldier” in the Marvel movies, told the Star Ledger: “Rutgers and Mason Gross School of the Arts is a big part of my life. It’s where I really, like truly, got to know acting and the history and everything. I had great teachers there. I had great classmates. I love the program. It’s dear to my heart.”

Stan grew up in Romania before moving to New York as a child.

Jesse Eisenberg, who was raised in East Brunswick, is nominated for best Writing for the movie “A Real Pain.” Eisenburg wrote and starred in the film.

Eisenburg previously starred in many popular films such as “The Social Network,” “Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice” and “Zombieland.”

New Jersey director and cinematographer nominated

Sean Baker is nominated for four Oscars this year for his directing and writing in the movie “Anora.” He is nominated for best Writing, best Directing, best Film Editing and Best Picture.

Baker was born in Summit and grew up in Short Hills. His family moved to Somerset County, and he attended Gill St. Bernard’s in Glad Stone. Baker also worked as a projectionist at the Wellmont Theater in Montclair before pursuing his dream of becoming a director.

Baker also directed critically acclaimed films such as “The Florida Project” and “Tangerine.”

Edward Lachman is a cinematographer who is nominated for best Cinematography for the movie “Maria” at the 2025 Oscars.

Lachman was born in Morristown. He has also made movies such as “Far From Heaven,” “Carol” and “Ken Park.”