Hunt’s place in film history was secured in 1982 with The Year of Living Dangerously, where she portrayed Billy Kwan, a male Chinese-Australian photographer. The role earned her the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and marked a first: a woman winning an Oscar for portraying a male character. Director Peter Weir, initially considering only male actors, ultimately chose Hunt after a screen test that made the decision unavoidable. The performance was not a novelty—it was precise, restrained, and deeply human.
