Zoe Saldaña Says She Took ‘Emilia Pérez’ Role Because of Trans Nephew

Zoe Saldaña took her award-winning role in Emilia Pérez for a very personal reason.

After clinching the supporting actress trophy at the 78th British Academy Film and Television Arts Awards (BAFTA) on Sunday, Feb. 16, the actress revealed during a press conference in the winners room that she took the role of Rita Mora Castro in honor of her nephew Eli, who is transgender.

“I am dedicating all of these awards and the film Emilia Perez to my nephew, Eli,” Saldaña, 46, told reporters. “He is the reason, they are the reason, I signed up to do this film in the first place.”

“So as a proud aunt of a trans life, I will always stand with my community of trans people,” she added.

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Emilia Pérez, from French filmmaker Jacques Audiard, netted 11 total BAFTA nominations, winning both supporting actress for Saldaña as well as in the category of film not in the English language.

The Netflix crime musical sees Saldaña as a lawyer helping a Mexican drug lord (played by Karla Sofía Gascón) transition into a woman. A first-time nominee with the British Academy, Saldaña also earned this year’s Golden Globe and Critics Choice Awards for her performance.

Her costar Gascón, 52, was not in attendance at the BAFTAs following recent controversy over her resurfaced social media posts criticizing Muslim culture, George Floyd, diversity and more.

The Spanish star, who made history as the first openly transgender acting nominee at several awards shows, deactivated her X account on Jan. 31, and apologized after making various statements that drew backlash.

At the 78th annual BAFTAs ceremony on Sunday, hosted by David Tennant, Saldaña took the Royal Festival Hall stage in London to give a rousing acceptance speech.

“I was told not to cry by my children so I’m going to try. This is so validating and a true honor,” said the actress, calling Emilia Pérez “a creative challenge of a lifetime.”

“How do you begin to even approach a film that defies categorization? You start by taking the lead with Jacques Audiard, so thank you very much,” she addressed the director. “I want to thank my very wonderful cast and the crew who poured their hearts into the film.”

“I want to thank my mom for being such a selfless person. Thanks to you, I’m able to do anything I want,” Saldaña continued, before shouting out longtime love Marco Perego: “My husband, you are God’s favorite and I hate it — but you are so beautiful!”