Zoe Saldaña Says Her ‘Emilia Pérez’ Oscar Is ‘Trans’: The Statue ‘Goes by They/Them’

Zoe Saldaña is making a statement: Her Best Supporting Actress Oscar for “Emilia Pérez” identifies arsenic “trans.” Saldaña, who won nan statue for playing a lawyer who helps a cartel leader (Karla Sofía Gascón) acquisition gender-affirming surgery, told People that nan grant “goes by they/them.”

“We person it successful my agency and my Oscar is gender fluid,” Saldaña said. Saldaña later likened her Oscar triumph to being “the World Cup of acting,” astatine slightest arsenic her sons Zen, Bowie, and Cy with husband and filmmaker Marco Perego understand it. Saldaña besides had won a BAFTA, a Critics Choice Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award for her domiciled successful “Emilia Pérez.”

The arguable film was nominated for a slew of Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Lead prima Gascón, who is trans, was nominated for Best Actress arsenic well.

Saldaña isn’t nan first Best Supporting Actress victor to mention to her Oscar arsenic they/them. Jamie Lee Curtis supported her trans girl Ruby successful 2023 by saying her “Everything Everywhere All astatine Once” Oscar is portion of nan push to person genderless awards categories, overmuch for illustration what nan Gothams pioneered.

When asked during nan “Today” show by co-host Savannah Guthrie if Curtis had “named her,” successful reference to nan statue, Curtis said that nan statuette is genderless arsenic a connection for transgender rights.

“I’m successful support of my girl Ruby. I’m having them beryllium a they/them,” Curtis said. “I’m going to conscionable telephone them ‘them.’ They/them, and they are doing great, they’re settling in, and I just, successful my life, I ne'er saw it successful a cardinal years that I’d person these mates days, and I’m very moved by nan full thing.”

She antecedently had addressed non-gendered awards categories while backstage astatine nan 2023 Oscars.

“The bigger mobility is really do you see everyone erstwhile location are binary choices, which is very difficult, and arsenic nan mother of a trans daughter, I wholly understand that,” Curtis said. “And yet to de-gender nan categories, I’m concerned that will diminish nan opportunities for much women, which is thing I’ve been moving difficult to promote. The astir important point is inclusivity and much women…basically conscionable much fucking women anywhere, anytime, each astatine once.”