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Emilia Pérez’s Zoe Saldaña Shares Heartwarming Reason For Doing the Film After BAFTA Win; ‘Will Always Stand…’
Zoe Saldaña earned many esteemed awards for her performance in the musical thriller Emilia Pérez and she dedicated it all to a special person in her life, her nephew Eli. Find out why!
Zoe Saldaña won the Supporting Actress trophy at the 2025 BAFTA Awards for Emilia Pérez and dedicated the award to a special person in her life—her nephew, Eli. On February 16, after winning the prestigious British Film Award, the actress attended a press conference in the winners' room and revealed the heartwarming reason that led her to sign on for the film.
Saldaña shared that she took on the role of Rita Mora Castro in honor of her nephew, who is transgender. "He is the reason—they are the reason—I signed up to do this film in the first place,” she admitted.
The proud aunt declared that every award she wins for her role in the musical thriller is dedicated to Eli more than anyone else. "So, as a proud aunt of a trans life, I will always stand with my community of trans people," she said.
The Jacques Audiard-helmed movie received 11 nominations at the BAFTAs. In addition to Saldaña’s achievement, the film won the award for Best Film Not in the English Language. The actress portrayed Rita Mora Castro, a lawyer who helps a famed drug cartel leader fake his death and transition into a woman, Emilia Pérez (Karla Sofía Gascón).
This year’s awards season has been a blessing for Saldaña! In addition to clinching the BAFTA award as a first-time nominee, she also won the Golden Globe and Critics Choice Awards in the same category.
Gascón, who portrayed the title character in the film, received critical acclaim for her performance. However, she did not win any awards and was even removed from BAFTA’s guest list amid controversy over resurfaced offensive tweets.
The actress, who made history as the first openly trans performer to earn nominations at several esteemed award shows, deactivated her X (Twitter) account and issued statements to the press following the backlash. Unfortunately, her response only intensified the controversy, further diminishing any chances of damage control for now.
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