Zoe Saldaña won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the trans musical drama Emilia Pérez, where she played an attorney aiding a cartel leader's gender-affirming surgery. Saldaña’s Oscar has become part of a discourse on gender identity; she humorously noted it identifies as 'trans' and 'gender fluid'. However, during the awards ceremony, neither she nor others involved in the film acknowledged the trans community in their speeches, raising concerns about representation and visibility for trans individuals in film settings.
‘Despite general reaction to the film being, shall we say, mixed, Emilia Pérez swept awards season, with Saldaña garnering accolades at the Golden Globes, Critics' Choice, BAFTAs and SAG Awards before picking up an Academy Award.’
‘We have it in my office and my Oscar is gender fluid,’ she told the publication when asked where she kept the award. She added that the statue is ‘trans’ and ‘goes by they/them.’
‘Though Saldaña broke down in tears while accepting her award in the 2025 ceremony, she failed to mention trans people in her speech - and so did everyone else involved with Emilia Pérez.’
‘When asked about the community in the press room at the Dolby Theatre, where the ceremony was held, French director Audiard claimed: “Since I didn't win best film or best director, I didn't have the opportunity to speak.”’
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