Zoe Saldaña Says Her Oscar Award Is ‘Trans' and Uses They/Them Pronouns: ‘My Oscar Is Gender Fluid'
Zoe Saldaña has shared that her Academy Award trophy is gender-fluid and goes by they/them pronouns. The actor, who won Best Supporting Actress at the 2025 Oscars for her role in Emilia Pérez, made the comment while speaking to PEOPLE on the red carpet for Disney and Pixar's upcoming film Elio.
"We have it in my office, and my Oscar is gender fluid," Saldaña said. "It's trans and goes by they/them."
Saldaña earned critical acclaim for playing Rita, a lawyer who helps a cartel leader transition, in Jacques Audiard's Spanish-language musical Emilia Pérez. The film and her performance were praised throughout awards season, with Saldaña taking home top honors at the Golden Globes, Critics' Choice Awards, BAFTAs, and SAG Awards before winning the Oscar.
She also shared the Best Actress prize at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival with co-stars Karla Sofía Gascón, Selena Gomez, and Adriana Paz, marking a rare collective win at the festival.
Here's what Zoe Saldaña said in her Oscar speech
During her acceptance speech at the Oscars, Saldaña paid tribute to her heritage and family. "Thank you to the Academy for recognizing the quiet heroism and the power in a woman like Rita, and talking about powerful women," she said.
She continued: "Jacques, you are a beloved character in my life. Thank you for taking the interest. Thank you for being so curious about these women to tell this story. To my cast and my crew of Emilia Pérez, I'm sharing this award with you."
Zoe Saldaña grew emotional as she spoke about her roots, sharing that her grandmother came to the United States in 1961. She said she was a proud child of immigrant parents and showed pride in being the first American of Dominican origin to accept an Academy Award, adding that she hoped she would not be the last.
She also reflected on how meaningful it was to receive an award for a role that allowed her to sing and speak in Spanish, stating that her grandmother would have been delighted and dedicating the win to her.
Saldaña's choice to refer to her Oscar statue with they/them pronouns follows Jamie Lee Curtis, who did the same after winning Best Supporting Actress for Everything Everywhere All at Once. Curtis said she did so to support her daughter Ruby, who came out as transgender in 2020.
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