Emilia Pérez’s Zoe Saldaña Shares Heartwarming Reason For Doing the Film After BAFTA Win; ‘Will Always Stand…’

At the 2025 BAFTA Awards, Zoe Saldaña was awarded the Supporting Actress trophy for her role as Emilia Pérez. She dedicated this honor to a cherished person in her life – her nephew, Eli. Following her win of the esteemed British Film Award on February 16th, Saldaña shared the touching motivation behind her involvement in the film during a press conference held in the winners’ room.

Saldaña openly stated that she accepted the part of Rita Mora Castro specifically for it, inspired by her nephew who identifies as transgender. She confessed, “It was him – they were them – that motivated me to take on this movie project in the first place.

She announced with great pride that any accolades she receives for her performance in the musical thriller are primarily dedicated to Eli above all others. And, speaking as an aunt who supports a transgender life, she vowed to consistently stand alongside and champion the transgender community.

In the film directed by Jacques Audiard, there were 11 nominations at the BAFTAs. Besides Zoe Saldaña’s recognition, the movie was also awarded Best Film Not in the English Language. The character portrayed by Saldaña is Rita Mora Castro, a lawyer who assists a well-known drug cartel leader in faking his death and transforming into Emilia Pérez (Karla Sofía Gascón).

2021 has been a rewarding time for Saldaña at this year’s awards ceremonies! Not only did she secure her first-ever BAFTA win, but she also took home both the Golden Globe and Critics Choice Award in the same category.

In the movie, it was Gascón who played the lead role and garnered praise for her acting. Yet, despite this recognition, she didn’t take home any trophies, and she faced backlash when old problematic tweets of hers reappeared, resulting in her being excluded from BAFTA’s guest list due to the ensuing controversy.

The actress, who became historic by being the first openly transgender performer to get nominations at various prestigious award ceremonies, recently deactivated her Twitter account and released statements to the media after facing criticism. Unfortunately, her reaction seemed to escalate the controversy, making it harder to manage the damage for the moment.

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2025-02-17 21:37