In the days leading up to the 86th Academy Awards, FilmBuffOnline will be offering profiles on all the nominees in the major categories. Some may be well known, others might be new to you, but if you need a refresher on these talented nominees, here it is.

Barkhad Abdi

Nominated for: Playing a Somali pirate in Captain Phillips.

Other honors for this role:

Won, Best Supporting Actor, 2014 BAFTA Awards.

Nominated, Outstanding Supporting Actor, Black Reel Awards.

2nd Place, Best Supporting Actor, Boston Society of Film Critics Awards

Nominated, Best Supporting Actor, Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards.

Nominated, Best Supporting Actor, Central Ohio Film Critics Association.

Nominated, Best Supporting Actor, Chicago Film Critics Association Awards.

Nominated, Best Supporting Actor, 2014 Critics’ Choice Awards.

3rd Place, Best Supporting Actor, Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards.

Nominated, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture, The 71st Annual Golden Globe Awards.

Won, Supporting Actor of the Year, London Critics Circle Film Awards.

3rd Place, Best Supporting Actor, National Society of Film Critics Awards.

Nominated, Best Supporting Actor, Online Film Critics Society Awards.

Nominated, Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role, 2014 Screen Actors Guild Award.

Where you might know him from:

Captain Phillips is Abdi’s first film.

History with Oscar:

This is Barkhad Abdi’s first Oscar nomination.

Bradley Cooper

Nominated for: Playing an undercover FBI agent in  American Hustle.

Other honors for this role:

Nominated, Best Supporting Actor, Australian Film Institute Awards.

Nominated, Best Supporting Actor, 2014 BAFTA Awards.

Nominated, Best Supporting Actor, Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards.

Nominated, Best Supporting Actor, 2014 Critics’ Choice Awards.

Nominated, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture, The 71st Annual Golden Globe Awards.

Nominated, Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Satellite Awards.

Nominated, Best Supporting Actor, Vancouver Film Critics Circle Awards.

Where you might know him from:

Cooper is known for his work in a number of films, including Wedding Crashers, The Hangover and The A-Team.

History with Oscar:

This is Bradley Cooper’s second Oscar nomination in as many years.

2013: Best Actor in a Leading Role, Silver Linings Playbook (Lost to Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln)

Michael Fassbender

Nominated for: Playing a cruel and domineering slaveowner in 12 Years a Slave.

Other honors for this role:

Won, Best Supporting Actor, Australian Film Institute Awards.

Nominated, Best Supporting Actor, 2014 BAFTA Awards.

Nominated, Best Supporting Actor, Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards.

Won, Capri Supporting Actor Award, Capri, Hollywood Awards.

Nominated, Best Supporting Actor, Central Ohio Film Critics Association.

Nominated, Best Supporting Actor, Chicago Film Critics Association Awards.

Nominated, Best Supporting Actor, 2014 Critics’ Choice Awards.

2nd Place, Best Supporting Actor, Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards.

2nd Place, Best Supporting Actor, Florida Film Critics Circle Awards.

Nominated, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture, The 71st Annual Golden Globe Awards.

Nominated, Best Supporting Male, Independent Spirit Awards.

Won, Best Supporting Actor, Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards.

Nominated, Supporting Actor of the Year, London Critics Circle Film Awards.

2nd Place, Supporting Actor of the Year, New York Film Critics Circle Film Awards.

Won, Best Supporting Actor, Online Film Critics Society Awards.

Nominated, Best Supporting Actor, Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards.

Nominated, Best Supporting Actor, San Diego Film Critics Society Awards.

Nominated, Best Supporting Actor, San Francisco Film Critics Circle.

Nominated, Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Satellite Awards.

Nominated, Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role, 2014 Screen Actors Guild Award.

2nd Place, Best Supporting Actor, Southeastern Film Critics Association Awards.

2nd Place, Best Supporting Actor, Toronto Film Critics Association Awards.

Nominated, Best Supporting Actor, Vancouver Film Critics Circle Awards.

Nominated, Best Supporting Actor, Washington DC Area Film Critics Association.

Where you might know him from:

Fassbender is an actor as at home in big budget films such as X-Men: First Class and Prometheus as he is in art house fare such as Shame and A Dangerous Method.

History with Oscar:

This is Michael Fassbender’s first Oscar nomination.
Jonah Hill

Nominated for: Playing renegade stockbroker Donnie Azoff in The Wolf of Wall Street.

Other honors for this role:

Nominated, Best Supporting Actor, Central Ohio Film Critics Association.

Nominated, Best Supporting Actor, Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards.

Where you might know him from:

Hill is most known for his comedic work, especially his collaborations with Judd Apatow, most notably, Superbad. He was also in Knocked Up, Get Him to the Greek, and The Sitter, and provided voices for animated features such as How to Train Your Dragon and Megamind.

History with Oscar:

This is Jonah Hill’s second Oscar nomination.

2012: Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role, Moneyball (Lost to Christopher Plummer, Beginners).

Jared Leto

Nominated for: Playing a transgender woman with AIDS in  Dallas Buyers Club.

Other honors for this role:

Won, Best Supporting Actor, Austin Film Critics Association.

Nominated, Best Supporting Actor, Australian Film Institute Awards.

Nominated, Best Supporting Actor, Boston Society of Film Critics Awards.

Won, Best Supporting Actor, Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards.

2nd Place, Best Supporting Actor, Central Ohio Film Critics Association.

Won, Best Supporting Actor, Chicago Film Critics Association Awards.

Nominated, Best Supporting Actor, Chlotr0udis Awards.

Won, Best Supporting Actor, 2014 Critics’ Choice Awards.

Won, Best Supporting Actor, Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards.

Won, Best Supporting Actor, Florida Film Critics Circle Awards.

Won, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture, The 71st Annual Golden Globe Awards.

Nominated, Best Supporting Male, Independent Spirit Awards.

Won, Best Supporting Actor, Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards.

Nominated, Supporting Actor of the Year, London Critics Circle Film Awards.

Won, Best Supporting Actor, Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards.

2nd Place, Best Supporting Actor, National Society of Film Critics Awards.

Won, Supporting Actor of the Year, New York Film Critics Circle Film Awards.

Nominated, Best Supporting Actor, Online Film Critics Society Awards.

Won, Best Supporting Actor, Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards.

Won, Best Supporting Actor, San Diego Film Critics Society Awards.

Nominated, Best Supporting Actor, San Francisco Film Critics Circle.

Nominated, Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Satellite Awards.

Won, Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role, 2014 Screen Actors Guild Award.

Won, Best Supporting Actor, Southeastern Film Critics Association Awards.

Won, Best Supporting Actor, Toronto Film Critics Association Awards.

Won, Best Supporting Actor, Vancouver Film Critics Circle Awards.

Won, Best Supporting Actor, Washington DC Area Film Critics Association.

Where you might know him from:

A certain segment of the population will always remember Leto as Jordan Catalano on TV’s My So-Called Life. Another segment will recognize him as the front man of the rock band, 30 Seconds to Mars. Others will recognize him from films such as How to Make and American Quilt, Fight Club, and Prefontaine.

History with Oscar:

This is Jared Leto’s first Oscar nomination.