‘Emilia Pérez’s’ Karla Sofía Gascón Makes History as First Trans Actress Nominated for an Oscar

The 2025 Oscars race is officially on!

“Emilia Pérez,” a Spanish-language operatic musical, led the morning with 13 nominations, a record for a non-English language film.

It was also a history-making day for Karla Sofía Gascón, who earned a Best Actress nod, making her the first out trans actress nominated for an Oscar.

Back in October, “Extra” spoke with Gascón about playing Emilia, and she shared, “For me, it was an amazing journey, mentally, physical, and all the things, no? It is hard work to remove this character from my life.”

Édgar Ramírez couldn’t contain his excitement as he celebrated their Best Picture nomination, jumping up and down with joy in an Instagram video.

His co-star Zoe Saldaña, who won the Golden Globe, was nominated for Best Supporting Actress. 

She posted a photo with her sisters on Instagram and wrote, “I am truly honored and grateful for the nomination. Thank you so much for considering me for this award. I am thrilled to be among such talented company. Emilia Pérez was made with love. Thank you to @theacademy and its members for recognizing our work.” 

Zoe ended with a nod to director Jacques Audiard, “Jacques!!!!! BINGO!”

Back when she picked up her Globe, she told us, “I want to feel all the feels… I’m just so happy that I was able manifest something with the universe and that the universe spoke back to me.”

She will face off with “Wicked’s” Ariana Grande, “A Complete Unknown’s” Monica Barbaro, “Conclave’s” Isabella Rossellini, and “The Brutalist’s” Felicity Jones.

Karla will also be up against some heavy hitters: “Wicked’s” Cynthia Erivo, “Anora’s” Mikey Madison, and “I’m Still Here’s” Fernanda Torres.

“The Substance” star Demi Moore also made the cut, marking her first Oscar nomination in her 40-year career!

She told “Extra” in a statement, “Being nominated for an Oscar is an incredible honor and these last few months have been beyond my wildest dreams. Truly there are no words to fully express my joy and overwhelming gratitude for this recognition. Not only for me but for what this film represents. I am deeply humbled. This is a time of incredible contrasts and right now, my heart is with my friends, family, neighbors, and community here in LA. The fires have devastated so many lives but to see the way our community has united leaves me in awe of the resilience and compassion that defines us, and this moment is a reminder of how incredible we are when we stand together.”

When “Extra” spoke with Demi after her Golden Globes win this year, she had a message to share. “It is about not wasting time focusing on all that you’re not when you could be celebrating all that you are,” she said.

Cynthia, meanwhile, got choked up as she shared a video from a plane, joking she was literally “defying gravity.”

She shared some photos from her “Wicked” journey, along with one from her childhood. The actress wrote in the caption, “Moments like this don’t come along very often, and when they do, it is sacrilege to let them pass by without a moment of gratitude. I am grateful, grateful to @theacademy, grateful to be a part of something that makes people feel seen, grateful to be a cog in the wheel of a piece that makes us believe in magic, grateful to have experienced a dream come true, and deeply deeply grateful for this unbelievable recognition.”

She said her younger self is “smiling, beaming, glowing from ear to ear” at the achievement.

Erivo also congratulated her co-star Ariana, calling it a joy to watch her “become the actress you were meant to be.”

She also praised director Jon Chu as their “fearless leader.”

When “Extra” spoke with Cynthia at the “Wicked” premiere she said of defying gravity, “It takes a lot of hard work and it takes a lot of bravery, but when you get to do it, it feels damn good.”

See the full list of nominees here.