Zoe Saldana has just snagged a major win at the Golden Globe Awards! This comes after her film sparked quite a bit of controversy right after its release.
On Sunday evening, Zoe was crowned Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy for her role as Rita Mora Castro in Emilia Perez. She wasn’t the only star shining – Selena Gomez, her co-star, was also nominated for her role as Jessi Del Monte. Other nominees in the same category included heavyweights like Ariana Grande (Galinda Upland in Wicked), Felicity Jones (Erzsébet Tóth in The Brutalist), Margaret Qualley (Sue in The Substance), and Isabella Rossellini (Sister Agnes in Conclave).
An Amazing Night for Emilia Perez!
Emilia Perez didn’t just bring home the win for Zoe – it also made history with 10 total nominations! The film set a record as the most nominated comedy or musical film in Golden Globe history. Among its nominations were Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, Best Foreign Language Film, Best Performance in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy (Karla Sofía Gascón), Best Director (Jacques Audiard), Best Screenplay (Audiard), Best Original Score (Clément Ducol and Camille), and Best Original Song (“El Mal” and “Mi Camino”, both by Ducol and Camille).
Controversy Surrounding Emilia Perez
In Emilia Perez, Zoe plays a lawyer hired to help a feared Mexican cartel leader disappear after transitioning into a woman. The film holds a 76% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and despite the criticism, it received high praise from acclaimed director James Cameron. The filmmaker, who worked with Zoe on the Avatar franchise, was so impressed that he watched the film three times!
However, the film has also sparked controversy, particularly within the LGBTQ+ community. The portrayal of a transgender character has been criticized, and there has been backlash in Mexico over how the culture was depicted.
Zoe commented on her character, saying: “Rita, on paper, was supposed to be of Mexican origin, but I just felt that I could play her because I understood that desperation to be something, to be seen, to be heard, and to be appreciated for your passion.” She talked about her connection to the character in an interview with W Magazine. “She was already very talented, street-smart, and experienced, but also feeling very empty. She was looking for something.”
If you haven’t checked out the film yet, you can stream Emilia Perez on Netflix and dive into this emotional and complex journey!
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