Oscars history as trans woman Karla Sofía Gascón nominated for role in Emilia Pérez
Karla Sofía Gascón has made history by becoming the first openly transgender actor to receive an Academy Award nomination.
The Spanish performer earned the groundbreaking nomination for her titular role in the Netflix musical crime film Emilia Pérez, directed by Jacques Audiard.
The nomination was announced today at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Samuel Goldwyn Theater, marking a watershed moment for transgender representation in Hollywood.
The film, which also stars Zoe Saldaña and Selena Gomez, has already garnered significant acclaim this awards season.
In Emilia Pérez, Gascón portrays a feared drug lord who enlists a lawyer named Rita (Saldaña) to help fake her death and undergo gender-affirming surgery.
The Spanish-language film has received critical acclaim, with Variety’s chief film critic Peter Debruge praising Gascón’s performance as electrifying.
The musical crime drama represents a significant milestone in Netflix’s catalogue of international productions.
Prior to this breakthrough role, Gascón established herself in television, notably appearing in Telemundo’s International Emmy-winning El Señor de los Cielos”and Netflix’s Mexican teen drama Rebelde.
She also starred in Warner Bros.’ 2013 dark comedy Nosotros los Nobles.
Only three openly transgender individuals have previously received Oscar nominations in any category before Gascón’s historic nod.
These include composer Angela Morley, musician Anohni and documentarian Yance Ford.
Actor Elliot Page received a nomination for Juno in 2007, before coming out as transgender in 2020.
The Academy has previously recognised cisgender actors for portraying transgender characters, with Jared Leto winning for Dallas Buyers Club and Hilary Swank for Boys Don’t Cry.
Eddie Redmayne also received a nomination for his performance in The Danish Girl.
Gascón’s Oscar nomination follows her historic win at the Cannes Film Festival, where she became the first transgender woman to receive the best actress award.
She shared the Cannes honour with her Emilia Pérez co-stars Saldaña, Gomez and Adriana Paz.
The performer also made history as the first transgender woman to be nominated for film acting at the Golden Globe Awards.
The film itself has proven to be an awards season favourite, having already secured four Golden Globe wins.
The 97th Academy Awards ceremony will take place on 2 March at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
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The Oscar nominations announcement was delayed by a week due to the recent Los Angeles wildfires that affected the city.
The nominations are being revealed today in a live presentation from the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater.
Among the leading contenders this year are The Brutalist, which has already claimed three Golden Globe victories, and the Vatican-set mystery thriller Conclave.
Other notable films vying for nominations include A Complete Unknown, featuring Timothée Chalamet as Bob Dylan, and Wicked, starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo.
The ceremony will be broadcast in the UK on ITV from around 11pm on 2 March.