Zoe Saldaña Becomes First Dominican To Win an Oscar
Emilia Pérez. Zoe Saldaña as Rita Moro Castro in Emilia Pérez. Cr. Shanna Besson/PAGE 114 - WHY NOT PRODUCTIONS - PATHÉ FILMS - FRANCE 2 CINÉMA © 2024.
Zoe Saldaña has made history. The actress, who has Dominican and Puerto Rican roots, has become the first Dominican to win the Academy Award and only the second Afro-Latina ever to win an Oscar after Ariana DeBose for West Side Story. Saldaña had previously won all the major pre-Oscar Awards: Golden Globes, Critics’ Choice, BAFTAs, and SAG, which meant she came into the Academy Awards as the frontrunner to win the Oscar.
The actress won the Best Supporting Actress Award over Monica Barbaro, who starred in A Complete Unknown, Ariana Grande, who starred in Wicked, Felicity Jones, who starred in The Brutalist, and Isabella Rossellini, who starred in Conclave.
“I am a proud child of immigrant parents with dreams and dignity and hard working hards,” she said in her acceptance speech. “And I’m the first American of Dominican origin to accept this award, and I know I will not be the last.”
Emilia Pérez, a musical crime comedy, written and directed by Jacques Audiard, has been at the center of controversy for its depiction of Mexico and trans stories pretty much since it was released. The movie, nonetheless, garnered 13 Oscar nominations. But the musical’s road to a good night at the Academy Awards was seemingly derailed by journalists uncovering old racist tweets from Karla Sofía Gascón, who plays the lead character.
In the film Saldaña plays a lawyer, Rita Mora Castro, who is offered a lot of money to help the head of a cartel who wants to undergo gender-affirming surgery and begin living an authentic life. Years later, Emilia decides she wants to get back in contact with her children, even if she has to lie about who she is, putting Rita and everyone else in a very complicated situation.
Emilia Pérez is available to watch on Netflix.