Oscars 2016: Best supporting actress nominees

A look at the best supporting actress nominees for the 88th Academy Awards, announced on 14 January 2016.

JENNIFER JASON LEIGH

Age: 53

Nominated for: The Hateful Eight

The character: Daisy Domergue, an outlaw awaiting execution in 19th Century Wyoming.

Oscar record: No previous nominations.

The critics said: "The best part of The Hateful Eight is Leigh, who brings mischievous grit to her every appearance." [Montreal Gazette]

ROONEY MARA

Age: 30

Nominated for: Carol

The character: Therese Belivet, a shopgirl and aspiring photographer in 1950s New York who begins an affair with a glamorous older woman.

Oscar record: Best actress nomination for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo in 2012.

The critics said: "There are obvious asymmetries to be discovered in the relationship between a penniless young bohemian and a wealthy, full-grown matron, but Ms Mara refuses to be the ingenue in the arrangement. She is vulnerable and hungry, timid and ferocious, predator and prey." [New York Times]

RACHEL McADAMS

Age: 37

Nominated for: Spotlight

The character: Sacha Pfeiffer, an investigative reporters at the Boston Globe who helps uncover child abuse in the Catholic Church.

Oscar record: No previous nominations.

The critics said: "Rachel McAdams brings her typical resolute intelligence to Sacha Pfeiffer... whether quietly interviewing abuse victims or caught off guard coming face to face with one of the accused priests, she's entirely human and it's telling how often McCarthy chooses to resolve a scene on a look from her." [IndieWire]

ALICIA VIKANDER

Age: 27

Nominated for: The Danish Girl

The character: Artist Gerda Wegener, whose husband became Lili Elbe, the Danish artist and transgender pioneer.

Oscar record: No previous nominations.

The critics said: "How Gerda copes... is even more gripping. She proves astonishingly supportive towards her partner's plight. Vikander eats this all up with a spoon, by turns energetic, winning, raw and compassionate... it seems she can do anything." [Empire]

KATE WINSLET

Age: 40

Nominated for: Steve Jobs

The character: Joanna Hoffman, loyal assistant to Apple co-founder and tech pioneer Steve Jobs.

Oscar record: Won best actress for The Reader in 2009. Three best actress nominations for Titanic in 1998, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind in 2005 and Little Children in 2007. Best supporting actress nomination for Sense and Sensibility in 1996 and Iris in 2002.

The critics said: "Don't be surprised if Kate Winslet also gets a nod in the best supporting actress category for her part as Jobs's right-hand-woman." [Evening Standard]