Zoe Saldaña says her 'Emilia Pérez' Oscar is 'trans'
The 46-year-old actress opened up about the golden statuette at the Los Angeles premiere of her newest movie, 'Elio.'
'We have it in my office,' Saldaña told People during the red carpet event on Tuesday. 'And my Oscar is gender fluid.'
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7 Zoe Saldaña opened up about her 'Emilia Pérez' Oscar trophy on Tuesday during the Los Angeles premiere of her newest movie, 'Elio.'
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7 'We have it in my office,' Saldaña said, 'and my Oscar is gender fluid.'
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She added that the award is 'trans' and 'goes by they/them.'
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The 'Avatar' actress received her 'gender fluid' trophy at the 2025 Academy Awards in March when she won Best Supporting Actress for 'Emilia Pérez.'
Directed by Jacques Audiard and also starring Karla Sofía Gascón, 53, and Selena Gomez, 32, the 2024 Netflix film follows an overworked lawyer named Rita Castro (Saldaña) as she helps the musical's titular character (Gascón) undergo gender-affirming surgery to escape her dangerous life as a cartel boss.
7 Saldaña played overworked lawyer Rita Castro in 'Emilia Pérez.'
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'I am floored by this honor,' Saldaña said during her acceptance speech. 'Thank you to the academy for recognizing the quiet heroism and the power in a woman like Rita.'
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'And talking about powerful women, my fellow nominees, the love and community that you have offered me is a true gift, and I will pay it forward,' she added. 'Thank you so much.'
The 'Guardians of the Galaxy' star also celebrated immigrants during her speech.
7 'I am floored by this honor,' Saldaña said during her acceptance speech at the 2025 Academy Awards. 'Thank you to the academy for recognizing the quiet heroism and the power in a woman like Rita.'
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'I am a proud child of immigrant parents, with dreams and dignity and hardworking hands,' she said through tears. 'And I am the first American of Dominican origin to accept an Academy Award, and I know I will not be the last.'
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But Saldaña's victory tour did not last long, because the actress found herself apologizing for the Spanish-language crime drama shortly after winning Best Supporting Actress for her role in the film.
'First of all, I'm very, very sorry that many Mexicans felt offended. That was never our intention. We spoke from a place of love,' Saldaña said after a journalist claimed that the movie was 'hurtful for us Mexicans.'
7 Saldaña later found herself apologizing for 'Emilia Pérez' after a journalist said the film was was 'hurtful for us Mexicans.'
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'I don't share your opinion,' she added, according to Variety. 'For me, the heart of this movie was not Mexico. We were making a film about friendship. We were making a film about four women.'
'Emilia Pérez' was already facing backlash ahead of the ceremony due to several controversial social media posts Gascón posted in the past.
Gascón, who became the first openly transgender actress to be considered for Best Actress when she was nominated in January, later apologized.
7 Karla Sofía Gascón portrayed the titular character in 'Emilia Pérez.'
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7 Gascón faced backlash ahead of the 2025 Oscars because several controversial social media posts from her past resurfaced during awards season.
Getty Images for Netflix
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'I want to acknowledge the conversation around my past social media posts that have caused hurt,' she said after the tweets came to light. 'As someone in a marginalized community, I know this suffering all too well and I am deeply sorry to those I have caused pain.'
'All my life I have fought for a better world,' Gascón added. 'I believe light will always triumph over darkness.'
The 'Emilia Pérez' actress ultimately lost out on the 2025 Academy Award for Best Actress to Mikey Madison for her role in 'Anora.'
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