Jackie Cooper

John Cooper, Jr. , known as Jackie Cooper, was an American actor, television director, producer and executive. He was a child actor who managed to make the transition to an adult career. Cooper was the first child actor to receive an Academy Award nomination. At age nine, he was also the youngest performer to have been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Rolean honor that he received for the film Skippy . For nearly 50 years, Cooper remained the youngest Oscar nominee in any category, until he was surpassed by Justin Henrys nomination, at age eight, in the Supporting Actor category for Kramer vs. Kramer .

Cooper was born John Cooper, Jr. in Los Angeles, California. Coopers father, John Cooper, left the family when Jackie was only two years old. His mother, Mabel Leonard Bigelow , was a stage pianist. Coopers maternal uncle, Jack Leonard, was a screenwriter, and his maternal aunt, Julie Leonard, was an actress married to director Norman Taurog. His stepfather was C.J. Bigelow, a studio production manager. His mother was Italian American Cooper was told by his family that his father was Jewish .

Source: Wikipedia