Transgender Actress Karla Sofía Gascón's Historic Oscar Nomination and Her Message to President Trump

En español

Spanish actress Karla Sofía Gascón made history today, January 23, 2025, by becoming the first transgender actress to be nominated for an Oscar in the Best Actress category for her work in the French movie 'Emilia Pérez'.

Her team captured her elation on social media, while members of the international press managed to reach her for comment. In addition to celebrating this milestone, Gascón did not hold back from criticizing US President Donald Trump.

"It was completely crazy, I didn't sleep all night," said the Emilia Pérez star in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter from an airport lounge in Brazil. "What an illusion, what an honor, what love. I feel fulfilled; it is the culmination of nine months of promotion and two years of work."

However, Gascón emphasized that the focus should remain on her acting merit rather than her identity."Now it is time to focus on my performance and put aside my ethnicity, sexuality or hair color to move forward in 'integration."

"Today it is proven that art does not understand hate. No one can question my work, even less the fact that I am an actress," she added. "An actress who deserves to be recognized solely and exclusively for her sublime performance in 'Emilia Pérez'."

Her remarks come in response to critics who debated whether she should be considered in the actress or actor categories. This discussion unfolds amid a politically hostile environment in the U.S. toward LGBTQ+ rights under Trump's presidency.

A Tireless Advocate for Trans Rights

Before learning of her nomination, Gascón described Trump as someone who "lacks shame" and added that she hoped "whatever needs to happen happens to silence everyone—on both sides," referring to critics in both Europe and the U.S.

Despite asking the Academy to disregard her identity and focus solely on her acting, Gascón has been outspoken in her fight for trans rights throughout the nine months she spent promoting 'Emilia Pérez.'

She even used the stage at the Golden Globes, where the Netflix film won Best Comedy or Musical, to address the issue. Wearing an orange gown in homage to her Buddhist faith, Gascón declared, "You come and maybe put us in jail. You can beat us up [but] you never can take away our soul, our existence, our identity."

"We are going backwards," she said about the current movement against equality. "The new generations have not experienced what the previous ones have experienced, so they are destined to repeat the same mistakes. Be careful with giving power to the intolerant, because it will end the little tolerance we have."

However, she is committed to moving forward: "I would also like to send a message of hope to all those people who suffer hatred: They will never be able to take away our pride in our existence, they will never bring me down, and I will continue to fight for a more just humanity."