Oscar nominees and the real people they played

The 86th Academy Awards will take place in Los Angeles this Sunday, March 2. The nominees have already been announced, the scenery has been assembled, and preparations are in full swing. In a word, everything is almost ready for one of the most prestigious ceremonies in the world of cinema. It remains only to find out the winners.

While we're rooting for our favorite actors, let's check out this interesting comparison gallery of actors and the real people they've played on screen.

(Total 6 photos)

1. Chiwetel Ejiofor as Solomon Northup in 12 Years a Slave.

Solomon Northup was born a free African American in New York. But he was kidnapped and sold into slavery under the promise that he would be able to play his violin. For 12 years, Solomon lived in terrible conditions, unable to communicate with his family. (Fox Searchlight Pictures; The Granger Collection, NYC)

2. Christian Bale as Irving Rosenfeld (based on the real-life Melvin Weinberg) in American Hustle.

Mel Weinberg was a swindler and FBI informant who played a major role in the Bureau's Operation Abskam, which began as a way to stop the sale of stolen goods, but eventually grew into an investigation into a political corruption scandal. (Columbia; G Paul Burnett/AP)

3. Tom Hanks as Richard Phillips in Captain Phillips.

Richard Phillips was the captain of the Maersk Alabama, which was captured by Somali pirates in 2009. Leaving the ship, the pirates took him with them on a boat, capturing him. However, the captain was later released during a special rescue operation. (Columbia; US Navy/Getty Images)

4. Matthew McConaughey as Ron Woodroof in Dallas Buyers Club.

In 1986, Ron Woodroof was diagnosed with AIDS. But instead of just resigning himself to fate, he began experimenting with drugs, not all of which were legal. He created the Dallas Buyers Club, an organization that sold illegal drugs to AIDS patients. (Anne Marie Fox / Focus Features; John F. Rhodes / The Dallas Morning News / Corbis)

5. Judi Dench as Philomena Lee in Philomena.

When Philomena Lee became pregnant at 18, she had to give her son up for adoption. After 50 years, she tried to find him with the help of a British journalist. (Weinstein Co.; Niall Carson / PA)

6. Leonardo DiCaprio as Jordan Belfort in The Wolf of Wall Street.

Jordan Belfort is a former broker who came to success through dubious means. He wrote a memoir, The Wolf of Wall Street, in which he described his life of drugs, money and women, as well as his incredible fall from his pedestal.