First actor of Dominican descent wins Oscar

Zoe Saldaña won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role as an attorney for a cartel leader in Jacques Audiard’s film Emilia Pérez. During her emotional acceptance speech, Saldaña expressed gratitude to the Academy for recognizing the strength of her character, Rita, calling her a “quiet hero” and praising the power of women in cinema. She also honoured director Jacques Audiard, saying, “Thank you for being so curious about these women to tell this story,” and shared the award with the entire Emilia Pérez cast and crew.

Saldaña’s speech took a deeply personal turn as she paid tribute to her family, particularly her grandmother, who immigrated to the United States in 1961. She tearfully remarked, “I am the first American of Dominican origin to accept an Academy Award, and I know I will not be the last. 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.”

In addition to her Oscar, Saldaña has received several other prestigious awards for her performance in Emilia Pérez, including the SAG Award, a BAFTA, a Golden Globe, and a Critics Choice Award. She shared the Best Actress Award at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival with co-stars Selena Gomez, Adriana Paz, and Karla Sofia Gascón. The film was nominated for 13 Oscars this year, the most of any film in the field.

However, Emilia Pérez has faced some controversy during this awards season. Gascón, who was nominated for Best Actress, was criticized for offensive tweets, leading to public apologies. Audiard also sparked backlash for comments about the Spanish language, calling it the language of “poor people and migrants,” and for his perceived lack of understanding of Mexican culture and transgender depictions.

At the Oscars, Saldaña competed against Monica Barbaro, Isabella Rossellini, Felicity Jones, and Ariana Grande for the Best Supporting Actress category. Following her success in Emilia Pérez, Saldaña remains a prominent figure in Hollywood, with roles in Avatar, Avatar: The Way of Water, and Avengers: Endgame. She currently stars in the Paramount+ action series Lioness, for which she was nominated for an NAACP Image Award.

#ZoeSaldana #Oscars2025 #DominicanPride #LatinaExcellence #RepresentationMatters #EmiliaPerez #WomenInFilm #HistoryMade #CaribbeanHeritage #HollywoodTrailblazer

  DR