Young Oscar-nominated actress Keisha Castle-Hughes, who starred in the lauded New Zealand drama "Whale Rider" at the tender age of 12, has announced that she’s pregnant. "Whale Rider" came out in 2002, so if you do the math…the young mom-to-be is sixteen years old. But a very mature sixteen, they say.
Castle-Hughes became the youngest, uh, woman, nominated for a Best Actress Oscar in 2004, for her debut performance as a Maori girl destined to become her tribe’s leader in "Whale Rider." She followed up that turn with a role in "Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith," as the Queen of Naboo. Her next role? Playing the Virgin Mary in Catherine Hardwicke‘s "The Nativity Story," due this December.
Castle-Hughes next stars as Mary in December’s "The Nativity Story"
According to gossip-scooper People Magazine, the baby’s father is Castle-Hughes’ boyfriend of three years, nineteen-year-old Bradley Hull. The two met in high school.
Castle-Hughes is also onboard the Australian coming-of-age dramedy "Hey, Hey, It’s Esther Blueburger," in which she’s set to star with Toni Collette. It’s about a 13-year-old Jewish girl (played by Aussie newcomer Danielle Catanzariti) who secretly switches from private to public school; production is scheduled to start this month, and Castle-Hughes is expected to give birth in the spring.
