Emilia Pérez star Karla Sofía Gascón has officially rewritten Oscar history.
As Deadline has reported, she has become the first openly trans person ever nominated in an acting category at the Academy Awards.
Gascón earned her nomination in the Best Actress category for her leading role in Emilia Pérez, a musical Netflix film directed by Jacques Audiard.
This massive recognition follows a string of recent nods for Gascón’s performance, including nominations at the Golden Globes, SAG Awards, and BAFTAs.
In the Netflix movie, Gascón plays a cartel leader who enlists a Mexico City lawyer, Rita (played by Zoë Saldaña), to help her transition and live authentically.
The film also stars Selena Gomez as Emilia’s wife, Jessi, and Adriana Paz as Emilia’s girlfriend, Epifanía.
Gascón first made waves with this role at the Cannes Film Festival, where she and her co-stars collectively won the Best Actress award—a groundbreaking achievement as she became the first openly trans actress to win the prestigious prize.
Speaking to Deadline in October, Gascón reflected on her journey and what representation means to her.
She said at that time, “I represent, obviously, the minority that I represent. But I think that I represent a lot of people in this world that want, or need, to be free.”
“I’m talking about my colleagues, other actors… who have felt that rejection and continue to work, learn, and grow. I hope that I represent hope for my colleagues.”
Although Gascón’s nomination is noteworthy, she is not the first openly trans person to receive recognition from the Academy.
In 1975 and 1978, composer Angela Morley earned nominations for The Little Prince and The Slipper and the Rose: The Story of Cinderella.
Other notable milestones include musician Anohni’s 2016 nomination for Best Original Song and Yance Ford’s 2018 nod as the first openly trans director, for the documentary Strong Island.
That same year, A Fantastic Woman, starring Chilean trans actress Daniela Vega, won Best Foreign Language Film.
