Karla Sofía Gascón — the transgender star of Netflix’s narco-musical Emilia Perez — has earned an Academy Award nomination for lead actress, making Gascón the first openly trans actor ever to receive an Oscar nomination.
Gascón’s nomination was widely expected after the actor was nominated at the Golden Globes and the Screen Actors Guild Awards. Emilia Perez earned a total of 13 Oscar nominations — the most of any movie this year.
In scoring one of the five best actress nomination slots, Karla Sofía Gascón beat out several biological female performers who were also in the running, including Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Nicole Kidman, and Angelina Jolie.
The other four best actress nominees are Demi Moore for The Substance, Mikey Madison for Anora, Cynthia Erivo for Wicked, and Brazilian star Fernanda Torres for I’m Still Here.
Emilia Perez tells the story of a cartel boss who attempts to exit the drug trade by undergoing a sex-change operation. The French-produced, mostly Spanish-language movie also stars Zoe Saldana, who received a supporting actress nomination, and pop star Selena Gomez.
While Hollywood has embraced Emilia Perez, the LGBTQ community has been less effusive, with organizations including GLAAD criticizing the movie for its portrayal of transgenderism.
GLAAD said the movie features a “profoundly retrograde portrayal of a trans woman,” adding that it represents a “step backward for trans representation.”
