Zoe Salda?a ‘very, very sorry’ that ‘Emilia Pérez’ offended Mexicans
After enduring an awards season with her film under siege, Emilia Pérez star and newly minted Best Supporting Actress Oscar winner Zoe Salda?a offered a parting defense of the beleaguered musical. (Watch the video above as part of Gold Derby's backstage highlight reel.)
Following her win, Salda?a appeared at the backstage press room and was asked about Emilia Pérez’s depiction of Mexican culture and use of language, which some critics have found problematic.
More from GoldDerby
“I’m very, very sorry that many Mexicans felt offended. That was never our intention. We spoke from a place of love,” she told reporters. “For me, the heart of my movie is not about Mexico … it’s about the universal struggle women have every day trying to survive systemic oppression.
“These women could have been Russian, could have been Dominican, could have been Black [and] from Detroit, could have been from Israel, could have been from Gaza,” Salda?a continued. “These women are still very universal women that are struggling every day at trying to survive systemic oppression and trying to find their most authentic voices, so I will stand by that.”
But, she added, “I’d always welcome sitting down with my Mexican brothers and sisters and having a conversation how the media could have been done better.”
During an emotional acceptance speech, Salda?a dedicated her win to her Dominican grandmother. “My grandmother came to this country in 1961 — I am a proud child of immigrant parents,” she said. “With dreams and dignity and hard-working hands, and I am the first American of Dominican origin to accept an Academy Award, and I know I will not be the last. I hope. The fact that I’m getting an award for a role where I got to sing and speak in Spanish — my grandmother, if she were here, she would be so delighted, this is for my grandmother.”
Salda?a was a season-long frontrunner in the category, even weathering fallout from the controversy over her costar Karla Sofía Gascón’s resurfaced offensive tweets. Aside from facing flak over its depiction of Mexican culture, Emilia Pérez also was targeted by GLAAD for its "retrograde" portrayal of trans life.
Emilia Pérez had come into the 97th Academy Awards with a leading 13 nominations — a record for a non-English-language film — but finished with only two awards. In addition to supporting actress, the film scored Best Song for Salda?a’s show-stopping number, “El Mal.”
Best of GoldDerby
Sign up for Gold Derby's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Solve the daily Crossword
