Guess the first roles of these Oscar-nominated actors

Oscar-winning American actor Denzel Washington played the long-lost son of George Segal in "Carbon Copy," an obscure 1981 comedy. But that obscurity didn't seem to hurt Washington, who went on to have one of the most successful careers in Hollywood.

Years before her sci-fi film "Arrival" was nominated for Best Picture, American actress Amy Adams scored her first film credit in a small but memorable part in 1999's "Drop Dead Gorgeous."

The Israeli-American actress starred opposite Jean Reno in "The Professional" in 1994. Now, she's in the running for an Academy Award for her performance in "Jackie." It would be her second Oscar (she won for "Black Swan" in 2011).

American actress Michelle Williams is nominated for a supporting actress Oscar for her role in "Manchester by the Sea." It's her second nomination in that category; in 2005 she was nominated for "Brokeback Mountain."

Andrew Garfield, born in Los Angeles and raised in England, made his feature-film debut in the 2007 war drama "Lions for Lambs." He's now nominated for "Hacksaw Ridge," another war movie.

Octavia Spencer landed her first acting role as a nurse in "A Time to Kill." The Alabama-born actress had been hired to work behind the scenes in casting, but director Joel Schumacher liked her so much, he asked her to audition.

California-born Mahershala Ali is nominated for his supporting actor role in "Moonlight" in this year's Academy Awards. He's perhaps best known for his role in the Netflix series "House of Cards."

Emma Stone has brought her wit and charm to more than 23 films – an impressive resume for the 28-year-old Arizona native. Her singing chops have also earned her praise and helped her land the lead role in "La La Land" opposite Ryan Gosling.

British actor Dev Patel landed the role in "Skins" in 2007 with no prior professional acting experience. Now, he's up for an Oscar for his role in the international drama "Lion."

The 1977 drama "Julia" was Hollywood treasure Meryl Streep's feature film debut. The New Jersey-born actress is now up for her 16th Oscar nomination for "Florence Foster Jenkins."