As Hollywood prepares for the 84th annual Academy Awards, “Good Morning America” co-anchor Robin Roberts hosts “Before They Were Famous,” a special Oscar-themed edition of “20/20” airing at 10 p.m., Wednesday, February 22 on ABC.

The hour-long special will highlight the early lives and careers of this year’s nominees, including interviews with George Clooney, Glenn Close, Max Von Sydow, Gary Oldman and Demien Bechir, as well as Jean du Jardin and Berenice Bejo from “The Artist.”

Roberts also sits down the stars of “The Help,” which sparked quite a bit of controversy as well as conversation, and received a “Best Picture” nomination. In the role of Minny, Octavia Spencer scored a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress, and hopes to repeat at the Academy Awards, while talented Tony Award winner, Viola Davis, is vying for Best Actress Oscar.

With reports from “20/20’s” Deborah Roberts and Chris Connelly, and GMA’s Laura Spencer, “Before They Were Famous” features never-before-seen photos and recently uncovered home video of Hollywood’s hottest stars before they were up for “acting’s biggest prize.”   

According to the network, “Before They Were Famous” also features the surprising stories of how some of the nominees got their big breaks, with candid interviews from their former co-stars and friends — including Michelle Williams’ former co-star James Van Der Beek, Christopher Plummer’s longtime friend, William Shatner, and Tracey Gold, who starred opposite a young Brad Pitt on “Growing Pains.” The special also includes a tribute to the early years of “Oscar’s golden host” Billy Crystal, featuring an interview with Crystal’s good friend Rob Reiner.

Contact entertainment reporter Kimberly C. Roberts at (215) 893-5753 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .