Tim Gray Senior Vice PresidentThe public considers the Academy Awards as a Hollywood event. True, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences is headquartered in Southern California, and most of the best pic contenders are American and/or in the English language.
But Oscar history proves they have been an international event from the beginning.In the first year (1927-28), there were nominations for directors Herbert Brenon (born in Ireland) and Lewis Milestone (born in Moldova), plus a special award to Charlie Chaplin (from the U.K.).The next five years saw two noms apiece for directors Ernst Lubitsch (Germany) and Josef von Sternberg (Austria).
And the second best actress Academy Award was given to Canadian Mary Pickford. The early years of Oscar featured a slew of non-Americans.
Aside from mega-star Chaplin, the list of early Academy Award winners includes Emil Jannings (Germany, the first lead actor honoree), George Arliss (U.K.), Claudette Colbert (raised in the U.S.Read more on variety.com