Zoe Saldaña dedicated her Emilia Pérez win at the British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) to her transgender nephew. “He is the reason I signed up to do this film,” the actress said.
“I’m dedicating all of these awards and the film Emilia Pérez to my nephew, Eli,” Saldaña said after winning a BAFTA award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Netflix’s trans drug cartel musical, according to a report by Variety.
“He is the reason — they are the reason — I signed up to do this film in the first place,” the Avatar star added. “So as the proud aunt of a trans life, I will always stand with my community of trans people.”
While the actress did not make the dedication during her actual acceptance speech, she reportedly told journalists that there was “one last thing that I didn’t get to say on stage.”
#EmiliaPerez star Zoe Saldaña told journalists in the #EEBAFTAs winners' room what she didn't get to say on stage after winning best supporting actress:
— Variety (@Variety) February 16, 2025
“I’m dedicating all of these awards to my nephew, Eli. He is the reason — they are the reason — I signed up to do this film in… pic.twitter.com/1ZxEUkD9Bp
Notably, Netflix’s Emilia Pérez is a drug lord musical about a Mexican cartel boss, played by transgender actor Karla Sofia Gascón, who transitions to life as a woman.
In her acceptance speech, Saldaña said, “I want to thank my wonderful cast, Karla [Sofía Gascón], Selena [Gomez], Adriana [Paz].”
“Films are supposed to change hearts and challenge minds,” the actress continued. “And I hope that Emilia Pérez did something like this, please, because voices need to be heard.”
Recently, Emilia Pérez has been plagued by scandal after Gascón’s previous social media posts disparaging Muslims, the Chinese, and black people came to light.
While the trans actor did not attend Sunday’s BAFTA ceremony, Saldaña was present, alongside her co-star, Selena Gomez, who was last seen crying over the Trump administration’s nationwide apprehension of accused child rapists, human and drug traffickers, and gang members, among other violent criminals.
Sunday also makes for Saldaña’s first BAFTA win. This comes after thee actress lamented the Oscars rejecting Avatar in its awards ceremony, calling the move “quite deflating,” adding that it makes her feel “overlooked and then minimized and completely disregarded.”
Alana Mastrangelo is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on Facebook and X at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.
