A Close Read of Zoe Saldana’s Emilia Perez Acceptance Speech

Has anybody had a crazier awards season than Zoë Saldaña? The franchise veteran is used to being in movies that have popular support, even if they don’t gain much love from the Academy or critics. Well, now she’s in the exact opposite situation with Emilia Pérez, which, depending on how you look at it, is either much-maligned or much-beloved. And as a supporting actress, she’s the primary beneficiary. When the movie premiered at Cannes International Film Festival in May 2024, Saldaña was one of four of its actresses to share a Best Actress win, and she’s been scooping up trophies for her performance as Rita, the beleaguered, dancing lawyer, ever since. But she’s also living through the great Karla Sofía Gascón implosion after Gascón’s racist tweets were uncovered and resurfaced online. Gascón addressed the controversy in a statement on February 1, saying she is not the same person she was “10 to 20 years ago.” Still, the apology hasn’t stopped Gascón from becoming an all-time Oscars villain.

“I’m sad,” Saldaña told Variety on February 5. “I’m also disappointed. I can’t speak for other people’s actions. All I can attest to is my experience, and never in a million years did I ever believe that we would be here.” Here’s how Saldaña’s speeches have evolved throughout this awards season in the midst of this very tricky situation.

January 4, 2025: Saldaña’s first televised speech was a feast of tears and emotions. “This is a first time for me,” she said while still crying. “And I’m just so blessed that I’m sharing this moment with Selena and Karla.”

“No one other than you could have played Emilia Pérez,” Saldaña to Gascón. Within a month, Saldaña would have to start artfully distancing herself from her co-star, but on that night, they were family.

February 8, 2025: Saldaña didn’t win a televised award again until well into the Gascón scandal, and in just a month’s time, she dropped Gascón mentions but kept the emotion high. She focused this speech on her director, Jacques Audiard. “Playing Rita was the challenge of a lifetime, so all the flowers to you, Jacques, for believing that I could fill in her shoes.”

February 16, 2025: “I was told not to cry by my children,” Saldaña said in the opening of her BAFTAs speech. They know! Tears work! But more importantly, she did mention Gascón. “I want to thank my beautiful cast,” Saldaña said. “Karla, Selena, Edgar, Adriana, and the crew.” The camera crew then cut to Selena Gomez, since she was there — Gascón, who was nominated, had been rumored to skip the show. Next up: the Screen Actors Guild Awards on February 23. More tears? More gratitude to the full cast? We’ll be watching.