Zoe Saldaña’s Oscar Remarks Spark Conversation

At the premiere of her new movie “Elio,” actress Zoe Saldaña made an unexpected statement about her Oscar for “Best Supporting Actress” for her role in the film “Emilia Pérez.”

During the red carpet event, she referred to her award as “gender fluid.”

“We have it in my office and my Oscar is gender fluid,” she shared with People Magazine.

She went on to explain that the award identifies as “trans” and uses they/them pronouns.

Saldaña won her Oscar in March 2025, acknowledging her performance as Rita Castro, a lawyer helping a character named Gascón through a sex change surgery to escape a perilous life in the cartel.

“I am floored by this honor,” Saldaña expressed during her acceptance speech. “Thank you to the academy for recognizing the quiet heroism and the power in a woman like Rita.”

“And speaking 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 continued.

While accepting the award, she touched on immigration, which raised some eyebrows. Critics wondered about her connection of legal immigration to the issues surrounding illegal immigration, especially since Trump has frequently stated his support for legal immigrants.

“I am a proud child of immigrant parents, with dreams and dignity and hardworking hands,” she said emotionally. “And I am the first American of Dominican origin to accept an Academy Award, and I know I will not be the last.”

Despite her heartfelt speech, Saldaña later felt compelled to apologize to the Hispanic community for any offense caused by “Emilia Pérez.”

“First of all, I’m very, very sorry that many Mexicans felt offended [by the film]. That was never our intention. We spoke from a place of love,” she remarked in response to a journalist’s comment that the film hurt Mexican audiences.

“I don’t share your opinion,” she added. “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.”

Before the Oscars, “Emilia Pérez” faced criticism over past social media posts by Gascón, the actor portraying the character in the film. Some of the posts were seen as offensive, with comments on various sensitive topics, including race and religion.

“I’m sorry, is it just my impression or are there more Muslims in Spain? Every time I go to pick up my daughter from school, there are more women with their hair covered and their skirts down to their heels,” Gascón had remarked.

In another post from 2021, Gascón expressed frustration with multiple religions and their impact on human rights.

Having made history as the first openly transgender actress nominated for “Best Actress” earlier that year, Gascón eventually apologized for her past comments.

“I want to acknowledge the conversation around my past social media posts that have caused hurt,” she said, recognizing the pain her comments may have caused. “I believe light will always triumph over darkness.”

In the end, Gascón did not win the “Best Actress” award at the 2025 Academy Awards, losing to Mikey Madison for her role in “Anora.”