Karla Sofía Gascón has made Oscars history as the first out transgender woman to be nominated in an acting category.
The “Emilia Pérez” star was nominated alongside Cynthia Erivo (“Wicked”), Mikey Madison (“Anora”), Demi Moore (“The Substance”) and Fernanda Torres (“I’m Still Here”).
Directed by Jacques Audiard, the French-produced, Netflix-distributed musical thriller centers on a Mexican cartel boss who undergoes gender transition to trade a violent drug-dealing past for a domestic family life.
Before Gascón’s nomination, English composer Angela Morley was the first trans person to be nominated for an Oscar, for her music contributions to 1974’s “The Little Prince” and 1976’s “The Slipper and the Rose: The Story of Cinderella.” Musician Anohni was nominated for her original song “Manta Ray” from the 2015 documentary “Racing Extinction” (and notably boycotted the ceremony).
And documentarian Yance Ford became the first out trans man to receive an Oscar nomination, for his 2017 film “Strong Island.” (Elliot Page, who was nominated for starring in 2008’s “Juno,” revealed his gender identity in 2020.)
Zoe Saldaña and Karla Sofía Gascón in Netflix’s “Emilia Pérez.”
(Netflix)
Gascón worked closely with Audiard to develop the title “Emilia Pérez” character over numerous years.
“When I first read the script, I thought it would never get made,” she told The Times last year. “Because it was so special. So weird. So different. I just never thought we’d be able to make it. I thought it was a kind of dream. But I said that if we were to make it, it’d be like ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’ or something like that. I mean, it’s rarer than a green dog. It’s just not normal.
“Then again, I’m rarer than a blue dog,” Gascón quipped.
The 97th Academy Awards will air live on ABC on Sunday, March 2, at 4 p.m. PT from the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. Conan O’Brien will host the ceremony for the first time.