Karla Sofía Gascón is making history with her 2025 Oscars nomination.
With her best actress nomination for Emilia Pérez, Gascón becomes the first openly trans actor to be nominated for an Academy Award.
Gascón plays the titular role in the film, a Mexican drug cartel leader who — with the help of a lawyer played by Zoe Saldaña — fakes her death and undergoes gender-affirming surgery. Years later, Emilia attempts to right the wrongs of her past and reconnect with her former wife, played by Selena Gomez, and her children.
The Spanish actress previously won the best actress award at the Cannes Film Festival — shared with co-stars Saldaña, Gomez and Adriana Paz — and was nominated for a Golden Globe. In addition to her Oscar nomination, she is up for a Critics’ Choice Movie Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award.
Elliot Page was previously nominated for an Oscar for his role in Juno in 2008, prior to coming out as transgender.
Emilia Pérez is the most-nominated film of the year at the 97th Academy Awards, having scored 13 nominations — including Gascón’s and a coveted best picture nod.
Other nominations for the film include best supporting actress for Saldaña, best cinematography, best director for Jacques Audiard, best film editing, best international feature film, best makeup and hairstyling, best original score, best original song for “El Mal” and “Mi Camino,” best sound and best adapted screenplay.
Find out if Gascón can take home the trophy when the 2025 Oscars air live on ABC and stream live on Hulu on Sunday, March 2, beginning at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.
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