'Beasts Of The Southern Wild': Quvenzhané Wallis Gets Into Character In New Clip (VIDEO)

Quvenzhané Wallis was a mere 5 years old when she was among 4,000 girls who auditioned for the role of Hushpuppy in Behn Zeitlin's "Beasts of the Southern Wild." Now 9, Wallis is on the short list of potential Best Actress nominees, an honor which would make her the youngest actress to ever receive that honor. (Jackie Cooper, at 9 years and 20 days, would still be the youngest Oscar nominee ever; Wallis' turned 9 back in August.)

Wallis has added a dose of youthful enthusiasm to Oscar season. Consider: "It's kind of weird, because you see a bigger you," she told AwardsLine about watching herself onscreen. "And then you look at yourself, and you think, 'Why am I so much smaller than the real one up there?' And then you look at yourself and go, 'Wait, I'm the real one!'"

Lest audiences think Wallis isn't a serious performer, however, this new behind-the-scenes clip shows the "Beasts of the Southern Wild" star seamlessly get into character for a key moment in the film. Watch the production video above and check out "Beasts of the Southern Wild" on DVD and Blu-ray on Dec. 4. Check out a brand-new digital flipbook of Hushpuppy by clicking here.