Zoë Saldaña Fights Tears During Oscar Win: ‘I Am a Proud Child of Immigrant Parents… and the First American of Dominican Descent’

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In a heartfelt speech, Zoe Saldaña, who won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, acknowledged her role as a lawyer for a cartel leader in “Emilia Pérez” directed by Jacques Audiard. She expressed her deep gratitude to her fellow cast members and her own family during her emotional acceptance speech.

Saldaña expressed gratitude towards the “Emilia Pérez” team during her Oscar acceptance speech, stating, “I appreciate the Academy for acknowledging the silent bravery and the strength in a character like Rita. Jacques, you hold a special place in my life. Thank you for being intrigued. Thank you for wanting to share this story about these powerful women. To everyone involved in ‘Emilia Perez’, I am honored to accept this award alongside you.”

Saldaña acknowledged the “Emilia Pérez” team during her Oscar speech, saying, “I’m grateful to the Academy for highlighting the quiet courage and female power embodied by Rita. Jacques, you are dear to me. Thank you for your curiosity and interest in telling this story about powerful women. To all of ‘Emilia Perez’, I graciously accept this award with you.”

Both sentences convey the same meaning while using slightly different word choices.

After becoming visibly emotional, I shared heartfelt words about my family, particularly my grandmother, who immigrated to this country in 1961. As a proud child of immigrant parents, I felt honored and humbled to be the first American of Dominican descent to receive an Academy Award. I hope that I won’t be the last. Receiving this award for a role where I could sing and speak in Spanish was truly special, and if my grandmother were here, she would undoubtedly be thrilled – this one is dedicated to her.

I was honored to win the SAG Award for Best Supporting Actress for my role in “Emilia Pérez,” and I also received BAFTA, Golden Globe, and Critics Choice awards. Last year, when our film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, I had the privilege of sharing the Best Actress award with my incredible co-stars Selena Gomez, Adriana Paz, and Karla Sofia Gascón.

This year, Emilia Pérez’s film amassed a total of 13 Oscar nominations, making it the most nominated movie within its category. However, despite this abundance of recognition bestowed upon Zendaya, the Spanish language musical encountered a bumpy ride during the awards season. Controversies arose for Gascón, who was up for best actress, following a string of questionable tweets. In response, Gascón issued apologies. The French director Audiard faced criticism for his remarks about Spanish being the tongue of “the underprivileged and immigrants,” as well as for his perceived lack of understanding of Mexican culture and transgender portrayals.

At this year’s Oscars, Zoe Saldaña was up against Monica Barbaro (from “A Complete Unknown”), Isabella Rossellini (“Conclave”), Felicity Jones (“The Brutalist”) and Ariana Grande (in “Wicked”) for the Best Actress award.

OR

At the Oscars, Zoe Saldaña was nominated alongside Monica Barbaro, who portrayed Joan Baez in “A Complete Unknown”, Isabella Rossellini in “Conclave”, Felicity Jones from “The Brutalist” and Ariana Grande in “Wicked”.

OR

At the Oscars, Zoe Saldaña competed against Monica Barbaro (in “A Complete Unknown”), Isabella Rossellini (“Conclave”), Felicity Jones (“The Brutalist”) and Ariana Grande (from “Wicked”).

All these options convey the same information but are presented in slightly different ways.

Following her notable roles in blockbuster hits like “Avatar,” “Avatar: The Path of Water,” and “Avengers: Endgame,” Zoe Saldana is now headlining the Paramount+ action series “Lioness.” This performance earned her a nomination for an NAACP Image Award.

See the full list of Oscar winners here.

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2025-03-03 05:17