Zoë Saldaña, star of Emilia Pérez, dedicated her Best Supporting Actress award, won at the 2025 BAFTA Awards, to her trans nephew.
Saldaña, who won the award for her role in the Spanish-language musical, said in her heartfelt acceptance speech: “I’m dedicating all of these awards and the film Emilia Pérez to my nephew, Eli. He is the reason — they are the reason — I signed up to do this film in the first place. So as the proud aunt of a trans life, I will always stand with trans people.”
Co-star Karla Sofía Gascón was nominated for Best Actress but didn’t attend after controversial tweets came to light.
However, Saldaña still mentioned Karla in her acceptance speech, saying, “I want to thank my wonderful cast, Karla, Selena [Gomez], Adriana [Paz].”
Emilia Pérez, directed by Jacques Audiard, tells the story of a Mexican cartel leader who undergoes sex reassignment surgery to evade capture.
The film has garnered critical acclaim for its portrayal of trans themes and has sparked important conversations about representation in cinema.
