Fernanda Torres could make history with her Oscar win. Here's how

By Mason Leib

Fernanda Torres has the chance to make history at the Oscars.

The "I'm Still Here" star would become the first Brazilian actress to win the best actress award should her name be called on March 2.

With her best actress nod, Torres became the second Brazilian actress to be nominated for the award -- the first being her mother, Fernanda Montenegro, who was nominated for her role in the 1998 film "Central Station."

Both "Central Station" and "I'm Still Here" are directed by renowned Brazilian director Walter Salles.

Fernanda Montenegro was nominated over two decades ago

Torres, who won the Golden Globe for best actress in a motion picture (drama) in January, dedicated the award to her mother, who, as with the Oscars, was also nominated for the same category at the 1999 Golden Globes.

Mauro PIimentel/AFP via Getty Images

Fernanda Montenegro, left, and her daughter Fernanda Torres, pose for a photo after Brazilian songwriter and former Culture Minister Gilberto Gil's swearing-in ceremony as a new "immortal," April 8, 2022, in Rio de Janeiro.

"She was here 25 years ago, and this is proof that art can endure through life, even in difficult moments like this," Torres said in her Golden Globes acceptance speech.

In a February Hollywood Reporter interview discussing Torres' Oscar nomination, Montenegro celebrated her daughter's recognition.

"She has already won -- before, during and after," Montenegro said at the time. "Being nominated is the Oscar itself."

In "I'm Still Here," Torres portrays Eunice Paiva, a Brazilian activist and wife of Rubens Paiva, a Brazilian politician who disappeared at the hands of the Brazilian government.

Torres spoke about the appeal of the film in a "GMA3" interview earlier this month.

"I think it's relatable because it's based on a family," said Torres. "Although it's a political movie...people from the left wing, from the right wing, from the center start to have empathy for that family."

Sony Pictures Classics

Fernanda Torres in "I'm Still Here."

Montenegro also appears in the film as an older version of her daughter's character.

Torres recently told the Los Angeles Times about her experience breaking into an American audience coming from Brazil.

"In Brazil, we are very proud of our culture and we consume our own culture," Torres told the outlet. "But it's very rare that someone [succeeds] abroad, so when it happens, there's this pride that someone is recognizing something that we always knew was a talent. It's like a confirmation."

The 97th Oscars will take place Sunday, March 2, at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood. It will be televised on ABC and streamed on Hulu.

Conan O'Brien will host the show, and presenters will include Halle Berry, Scarlett Johansson, Penélope Cruz and Whoopi Goldberg, Elle Fanning, John Lithgow, Amy Poehler, June Squibb and Bowen Yang.