<P> The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has given Academy Awards to actors and actresses for foreign language (non-English) performances in films, with the first award given in 1961 . For an actor or actress to be eligible for any of the Academy Awards for Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, or Best Supporting Actress for a foreign language performance in a film produced outside the United States, the film must have been commercially released in Los Angeles County and have English subtitles with the theatrical release . </P> <P> In 1962, Sophia Loren became the first actor to win an Oscar for a foreign - language performance . </P> <P> As of 2018, 33 actors and actresses have been nominated for Academy Awards for foreign language performances . Seven of these actors and actresses have received Academy Awards for their performances . Five actors have won for a performance that was mostly or solely spoken in a foreign language: Sophia Loren for Two Women (Italian), Robert De Niro for The Godfather Part II (Italian), Roberto Benigni for Life Is Beautiful (Italian), Benicio del Toro for Traffic (Spanish), and Marion Cotillard for La Vie en Rose (French). Two actors have won for performances mostly spoken in English (Penélope Cruz for her English and Spanish - language performance in Vicky Cristina Barcelona and Christoph Waltz for Inglourious Basterds (English, German and French). </P>

First actor or actress to win an acting oscar for a non-english speaking role