Uncle Barky doesn’t like it when Oscar nominees try to pooh-pooh or hide from their less glamorous TV pasts.

Bill Murray would never do that, but Johnny Depp or Rene Zellweger might. Small-screen credits from formative years tend to fade from resumes once a star is standing 50-feet-tall in a big dark room filled with paying customers.

Uncle’s annual excavation project keeps everyone honest and sometimes red-faced. Before beginning, it should be noted that two nominees shockingly have no known TV credits beyond appearances on talk shows. They are best actress nominee Keisha Castle-Hughes (“Whale Rider”) and supporting actress nominee Shohreh Aghdashloo (“House of Sand and Fog”). The rest are fair game.

Best actor

Bill Murray (“Lost in Translation”) – He’d be the first “Saturday Night Live” graduate ever to win a performance Oscar. Also was the inaugural guest on both NBC’s “Late Night With David Letterman” (Feb. 1, 1982) and CBS’ “Late Show With David Letterman” (Aug. 30, 1993). And he dropped in as Mr. McNulty on a 1983 episode of CBS’ “Square Pegs” high school series, which gave “Sex and the City’s” Sarah Jessica Parker her first starring role.

Johnny Depp (“Pirates of the Caribbean”) – Remember him in the fledgling Fox network’s first drama series? He played straightlaced undercover rookie cop Tom Hanson in “21 Jump Street” (1987-90). In the first episode, a fellow young gun told Johnny’s character, “You gotta turbo-charge your hair or somethin’, Hanson. You look like Richie Cunningham.” Johnny took that advice – and hasn’t done any TV acting since.

Sean Penn (“Mystic River”) – In the year before his fabled big-screen breakthrough in “Fast Times at Ridgemont High,” he played troubled teen Don Fremont in the fact-based 1981 TV movie “The Killing of Randy Webster.” Also had an unbilled bit part in the same year’s “Hellinger’s Law,” a pilot for Telly Savalas directed by Sean’s father, Leo Penn. Also guest-starred on two episodes of NBC’s “Friends” (as “Eric”), played himself on ABC’s “Ellen, hosted the Oct. 24, 1987, edition of “Saturday Night Live” and learned some acting ropes from Buddy Ebsen in the 1979 “School of Terror” episode of “Barnaby Jones.”

Ben Kingsley (“House of Sand and Fog”) – Has always bounced from big-screen to small-, most recently as Otto Frank in the 2001 miniseries “Anne Frank.” He’s also been Major Caterpillar in NBC’s “Alice in Wonderland” (1999), Porfiry in “Crime and Punishment” (1998), a Rupert Murdoch sendup named Julian Messenger in HBO’s “Weapons of Mass Distraction” (1997), Potiphar in TNT’s “Joseph” (1995) and Nazi hunter Simon Wiesenthal in HBO’s “Murderers Among Us” (1989). First TV credit is “Coronation Street.”

Jude Law (“Cold Mountain”) – Hey, Jude. Couldn’t resist. Dropped out of school as a teenager to play Nathan Thompson in the 1990 British daytime drama “Families.” Before that he was the stableboy in 1989’s “The Tailor of Gloucester.”

Best actress

Diane Keaton (“Something’s Gotta Give”) – Her humble origins include guest roles in ABC’s “Love, American Style,” CBS’ “Mannix,” NBC’s “Night Gallery” and ABC’s “The F.B.I.” Returned to TV when her movie career flagged, playing the title roles in 1994’s “Amelia Earhart: The Final Flight” and 2001’s “Sister Mary Explains It All.” Starred last year in TV movie “On Thin Ice.” Also directed episodes of ABC’s “Twin Peaks” and “China Beach” and Fox’s “Pasadena.”

Naomi Watts (“21 Grams”) – Played Julie Gibson in 1991 season of Australian TV soap, “Home and Away.” Was “sexy, dream interpreter” Kate Russell in 1997 NBC series “Sleepwalkers,” which died after two episodes. Also has co-starred in a handful of TV movies, including 1996’s “Timepiece” and 1998’s “The Christmas Wish.”

Charlize Theron (“Monster”) – Who can forget her as sultry Susan in the 1997 TV movie “Hollywood Confidential”? She also hosted the Nov. 4, 2000, edition of “Saturday Night Live.”

Samantha Morton (“In America”) – First attracted attention in a trio of 1997 British TV productions. She was Harriet Smith in “Jane Austen’s Emma,” Sophia Western in “Henry Fielding’s The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling” and nabbed the title role in Charlotte Bronte’s “Jane Eyre.” Also guested in a 1994 episode of the British series “Cracker.”

Best supporting actress

Renee Zellweger (“Cold Mountain”) – Prepped for the big time with bit parts in two violent TV movies, 1992’s “A Taste for Killing” (as Mary Lou) and 1993’s “Murder in the Heartland”. The latter was a reprise of the Charles Starkweather murder spree. She was in 1994’s “Shake, Rattle and Rock!” before landing “Jerry Maguire” two years later. She was Mindy in a 1991 episode of Fox’s “Married … With Children” and voiced Tammy Duvall on Fox’s “King of the Hill,” and hosted the April 14, 2001, edition of “Saturday Night Live.”

Holly Hunter (“Thirteen”) – Has two Emmys in hand for her leading roles in NBC’s controversial abortion movie “Roe vs. Wade” (1989) and HBO’s highly satirical “The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom” (1993). Recently played tennis star Billie Jean King in ABC’s “When Billie Beat Bobby” (2001). Her first TV movie was 1983’s “Svengali.”

Marcia Gay Harden (“Mystic River”) – After winning an Oscar for her supporting role in 2000’s “Pollock,” she became the first such-honored actress to immediately segue to a TV series. CBS’ “The Education of Max Bickford,” starring Oscar-winner Richard Dreyfuss, only lasted a year, though. TV credits also include girlfriend Susan Silverman in “Spenser: For Hire” movies, Ava Gardner in CBS’ “Sinatra” (1992) and Maggie in “Convict Cowboy” (1995) among others. She guested on NBC’s “Homicide: Life on the Street” and CBS’ “Chicago Hope.”

Patricia Clarkson (“Pieces of April”) – Has recurring role of freewheeling “Aunt Sarah” on HBO’s “Six Feet Under,” was Claire French in the 1993 season of NBC’s “Frasier” and co-starred on ABC’s “Murder One” (1995-96). She played Cosmo Yeargin in 1991 on ABC’s forgettable “Davis Rules.” Other TV credits include “Queen” (1993), “Four Eyes and Six-Guns” (1992) and 2002’s remake of “Carrie” as the title character’s very disturbed mother.

Best supporting actor

Tim Robbins (“Mystic River”) – Cut his acting teeth by guesting NBC’s “St. Elsewhere,” ABC’s “Hardcastle & McCormick,” NBC’s “Hill Street Blues,” ABC’s “Moonlighting” and NBC’s “Legmen.”

Played in the 1983 TV movie “Quarterback Princess” and in 1985’s “Malice in Wonderland.”. Hosted the Oct. 3, 1992, edition of “Saturday Night Live.”

Alec Baldwin (“The Cooler”) – First tried daytime TV as Billy Allison Aldrich in the 1980-82 seasons of “The Doctors,” then Dr. Hal Wexler on the 1983 CBS series “Cutter to Houston” and Joshua Rush on “Knots Landing” before playing Col. William Barrett Travis in 1987’s “The Alamo: Thirteen Days to Glory.”

Returned to TV in 1995 as Stanley Kowalski in a remake of “A Streetcar Named Desire” and Robert McNamara in 2002’s “Path to War.”

He triumphed as Christmas ball maker Pete Schweaty on “Saturday Night Live.” He’s hosted the show 10 times.

Djimon Hounsou (“In America”) – Began on as a nightclub doorman on Fox’s “Beverly Hills, 90210.” Nine years later he advanced to NBC’s “ER,” guest-starring as Mobalage Ikabo in six episodes. Also has appeared on ABC’s “Alias” and Showtime’s “Soul Food.”

Benicio Del Toro (“21 Grams”) – Started learning the trade with a small part in a 1987 episode of NBC’s “Miami Vice” and also could be barely seen that year on the network’s short-lived “Private Eye” series. Played “Bill” in a 1994 episode of HBO’s “Tales From the Crypt.”

In a preview of coming roles, he co-starred as Caro Quintero in the 1990 miniseries “Drug Wars: The Camarena Story.”

Ken Watanabe (“The Last Samurai”) – His handful of Japanese TV credits include 1992’s “Kimitachi ga ite boku ga iru” and the 2001 series “Hojo Tokimune.”