American actress Zoe Saldaña says she still has a lot to think about, but she isn’t letting the rude social media remarks made by Karla Sofía Gascón, her co-star in “Emilia Pérez,” ruin her Oscar nomination experience.
With 13 nominations, including best picture and lead actress Gascón, Netflix’s “Emilia Pérez” became this year’s most-nominated film, earning Saldaña her first Academy Award nomination in the best supporting actress category.
Saldaña, one of this year’s Oscar front-runners in her category, has had to deal with this change in public and privately. The conversation around the film changed when journalist Sarah Hagi shared screenshots of Gascón’s previous social media posts that were critical of George Floyd and Islamophobic.
“I feel depressed. Saldaña expressed disappointment at Gascón’s remarks on Thursday’s episode of Variety’s “Awards Circuit” podcast, saying she “can’t speak for other people’s actions.”
“It’s terrible that we are here,” Saldaña added, citing her personal experience of filming the film as evidence that the actors, crew, and directors were “all about inclusivity and collaboration and equality of all sorts.”
She stated that she is “amazed” by the support she has received despite the controversy and noted that “I’m taking it day by day and that joy is starting to kind of come back again.” This isn’t “something that we have to figure out immediately,” she noted later, adding that she is “taking my time to process.”
In the end, Saldaña clarified that she opposes “any unfavourable discourse of racism and bigotry towards any group of people.” I therefore wish to stand for that.
Saldaña’s remarks follow Gascón’s apology for remarks made in an interview with CNN en Español’s Juan Carlos Arciniegas last weekend, but she stated she “cannot step down” from the Oscars race. Gascón made history last month as the first openly transgender actress nominated for an Oscar in an acting category.
“I have not hurt anyone or committed any crimes,” Gascón told CNN. “All of these individuals have attempted to convince others that I am racist, but I am neither.”
