Zoe Saldaña’s road to the Oscars took a significant step forward Sunday night as the star of Emilia Pérez claimed the 2025 Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award for Best Supporting Actress. The win comes at a pivotal moment in her career, bolstering her position as a frontrunner for the Oscar in the same category.
Saldaña, 45, bested a competitive field of nominees that included fellow Oscar contenders Monica Barbaro (A Complete Unknown) and Ariana Grande (Wicked). Other nominees in the Best Supporting Actress category at the SAG Awards were Jamie Lee Curtis (The Last Showgirl) and Danielle Deadwyler (The Piano Lesson).
While accepting the award, Saldaña shared an emotional tribute to her fellow nominees and the acting community. “To be in this room is a true honor. This is my community. This is my circus,” she said, her voice full of gratitude. She also took the time to thank her fellow nominees, but notably did not mention Karla Sofía Gascón, her co-star in Emilia Pérez, who has been embroiled in controversy over resurfaced social media posts.
The win marks another prestigious recognition for Saldaña, who has already taken home Best Supporting Actress honors at the Golden Globes, Critics’ Choice Awards, and BAFTA Awards earlier this year. Should she triumph at the Academy Awards on March 2, she will join the ranks of fellow Best Supporting Actress winners from the musical genre, including Ariana DeBose, Anne Hathaway, and Jennifer Hudson, all of whom swept the awards season in their respective years.
Saldaña’s victory at the SAG Awards solidifies her place as a favorite in the race for the Oscar. Despite a strong push from Grande and critical acclaim for her performance, Saldaña has been the clear frontrunner throughout the awards season. However, some questioned whether the controversy surrounding her co-star Gascón could derail her momentum.
The controversy surrounding Emilia Pérez’s cast member Karla Sofía Gascón has been a defining storyline in the lead-up to the SAG Awards. Gascón, who plays a key role in the film, became the focus of a scandal after years-old social media posts with bigoted and offensive content resurfaced. In response to the backlash, Gascón attempted multiple apologies, which were met with further criticism. Eventually, she stepped back from participating in the awards campaign, choosing not to attend the SAG Awards ceremony.
Saldaña, who has always been vocal about inclusivity and respect in the industry, was quick to distance herself from Gascón after the controversy erupted. “I’m still processing everything that has transpired in the last couple of days, and I’m sad,” Saldaña said in a statement shortly after the scandal began to unfold. “It makes me really sad because I don’t support, and I don’t have any tolerance for, any negative rhetoric towards people of any group.”
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She continued, emphasizing the positive experience she had with the Emilia Pérez cast and crew. “I can only attest to the experience that I had with each and every individual that was a part of this film. My experience and my interactions with them were about inclusivity and collaboration and racial, cultural, and gender equity,” Saldaña said. “It just saddens me that we are having to face this setback right now.”
Saldaña went on to praise the message of Emilia Pérez and its potential to impact marginalized communities. “But I’m happy that you’re all here and that you’re all still showing up for Emilia because the message that this film has is so powerful,” she said. “The change that it can bring forward to communities that are marginalized day in and day out is important.”
Despite the controversy, Saldaña remained focused on the film’s message of love, respect, and collaboration. “All that I can attest is that all of us that came together to tell this story, we came together for love and for respect and curiosity, and we will continue to spread that message,” she said.
The Emilia Pérez star’s commitment to her film and its message is evident. In her acceptance speech at the Critics Choice Awards, Saldaña did not mention Gascón by name but thanked the film’s cast and crew. “My wish for the impact of this film on audiences in our world is that I hope we can all be curious and open-hearted towards each other,” she said. “You never know when you’ll have the opportunity to be a hero in someone else’s story. So our world is too big and too beautiful to be any other way.”
Once viewed as a Best Picture contender at the Oscars, Emilia Pérez remains a strong contender for multiple Academy Award nominations. Beyond Saldaña’s expected win in the Best Supporting Actress category, the film is also poised to compete for Best Original Song for the standout track “El Mal”, which features a powerful performance by Saldaña herself. Emilia Pérez is also a top contender for Best International Feature at the upcoming Oscars.
The 2025 Academy Awards are shaping up to be a major moment for Saldaña and Emilia Pérez, as the film continues to garner recognition across the awards season. While the controversy surrounding Gascón has undoubtedly complicated the narrative, Saldaña’s continued success and her unwavering commitment to inclusivity and respect have only strengthened her standing as one of the leading performers of the year.
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With the Oscars just around the corner, Saldaña’s win at the SAG Awards is a significant milestone on her journey toward securing one of the most coveted awards in the film industry. As the final stretch of awards season unfolds, all eyes will remain on Saldaña and Emilia Pérez, as the film’s message of hope, equity, and cultural understanding continues to resonate with audiences and industry insiders alike.
