Unless you’re a dedicated cinephile, the Oscar telecast is, for a good chunk of its three-plus-hour run time, a parade of well-dressed, below-the-line professionals you’ve never heard of winning awards you don’t really care about. This “who is that?” bafflement occasionally extends to the major categories, where non-celebrities occasionally compete against the likes of Glenn Close, Christian Bale, and Bradley Cooper. In an effort to make your Oscar viewing experience more pleasurable (and to perhaps give you a rooting interest when you’re usually getting up to grab another beer from the fridge), here’s a quick heads-up on some of this year’s lesser-known but immensely deserving nominees.