Trivia

Both her Oscar-winning performances were directed by Woody Allen. This makes her one of four actors to win two Oscars under the same person's direction. The other three are: Walter Brennan for Come and Get It (1936) and The Westerner (1940) (both directed by William Wyler), Jack Nicholson for Terms of Endearment (1983) and As Good as It Gets (1997) (both directed by James L. Brooks) and Christoph Waltz for Inglourious Basterds (2009) and Django Unchained (2012) (both directed by Quentin Tarantino).

She received both of her Oscars for performances in a Woody Allen movie.

Along with Shelley Winters, she is one of only two actresses to have won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress on two occasions: Winters won for The Diary of Anne Frank (1959) and A Patch of Blue (1965) and Wiest won for Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) and Bullets Over Broadway (1994).

She is Brad Pitt's favorite actress.

Last name is pronounced 'Wee-st'.

Graduated from the University of Maryland in 1969 with a degree in Arts and Sciences.

2 adopted children: Emily (b. 1987), Lily (b. 1991).

Resides in the Upper West Side of New York City (October 2006)

Is just 9 years older than Lori Singer, who played her daughter in Footloose (1984).

Had a long relationship with Sam Cohn in the 1980s. He was godfather to her daughters Emily and Lily.

She has played the same character (Nora Lewin) in three different television series: Law & Order (1990), Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999) and Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2001).

She appeared in five films directed by Woody Allen: The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985), Hannah and Her Sisters (1986), Radio Days (1987), September (1987) and Bullets Over Broadway (1994).

Co-starring in "Salome: The Reading" with Al Pacino and Marisa Tomei on Broadway. (April 2003)

Performing on Broadway alongside Katie Holmes in the revival of Arthur Miller's "All My Sons" at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre in New York. (September 2008)

Listed as one of twelve "Promising New Actors of 1985" in John Willis' Screen World, Vol. 37.

She appeared in four films with Mia Farrow: The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985), Hannah and Her Sisters (1986), Radio Days (1987) and September (1987). All four were written and directed by Woody Allen.

Daughter of Bernard (1922-1986), born in the state of Pennsylvania, and Anne (née Keddie) Wiest (1920-1989), born in Scotland and immigrated to America in 1948.

Is one of 25 actresses who have received an Academy Award for their performance in a comedy; hers being for Bullets Over Broadway (1994). The others in chronological order, are: Claudette Colbert (It Happened One Night (1934)), Loretta Young (The Farmer's Daughter (1947)), Josephine Hull (Harvey (1950)), Judy Holliday (Born Yesterday (1950)), Audrey Hepburn (Roman Holiday (1953)), Goldie Hawn (Cactus Flower (1969)), Glenda Jackson (A Touch of Class (1973)), Lee Grant (Shampoo (1975)), Diane Keaton (Annie Hall (1977)), Maggie Smith (California Suite (1978)), Mary Steenburgen (Melvin and Howard (1980)), Jessica Lange (Tootsie (1982)), Olympia Dukakis (Moonstruck (1987)), Cher (Moonstruck (1987)), Jessica Tandy (Driving Miss Daisy (1989)), Mercedes Ruehl (The Fisher King (1991)), Marisa Tomei (My Cousin Vinny (1992)), Mira Sorvino (Mighty Aphrodite (1995)), Frances McDormand (Fargo (1996)), Helen Hunt (As Good as It Gets (1997)), Judi Dench (Shakespeare in Love (1998)), Gwyneth Paltrow (Shakespeare in Love (1998)), Penélope Cruz (Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)), and Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook (2012)).

Was the 93rd actress to receive an Academy Award; she won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) at The 59th Annual Academy Awards (1987) on March 30, 1987.

Maternal granddaughter of Niel Stewart (1891-1967), born in Arbroath, Scotland, and Edith Rose (née McDougall) Keddie (1892-1978), born in Tomintoul, Scotland.

Paternal granddaughter of Bernard Mathew (1896-1986) and Emma Louise (née Cosulich) Wiest (1896-1977). Both were born and raised in the state of Pennsylvania.