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Karla Sofía Gascón in 'Emilia Pérez'
Karla Sofía Gascón is the breakout star of the musical Emilia Pérez.
Karla Sofía Gascón’s performance in Emilia Pérez has made her a global sensation. Now, she's made history as the first out trans woman to be nominated for a lead actress in a film at the Golden Globes.
In the film, Gascón plays the title character, a Mexican drug lord who comes out as transgender and transitions.
Related: Emilia Pérez star Karla Sofía Gascón shares thoughts on representing the trans community in film
The Spanish actress' nomination sits in the musical or comedy category. There is a separate category for dramatic films.
Besides Gascón's nomination, Emilia Pérez, Jacques Audiard directed, received 9 other nominations, making it the film with the most nominations this year. Gascón is competing in her category with Cynthia Erivo (Wicked), Amy Adams (Nightbitch), Mikey Madison (Anora), Demi Moore (The Substance), and Zendaya (Challengers)
Gascón is also an Oscar frontrunner for her work in Emilia Pérez. She, along with co-stars Selena Gomez, Adriana Paz, and Zoe Saldaña already won the Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival. Gomez and Saldaña both received nominations for Best Supporting Actress for their work in the film.
Related: Wicked's Cynthia Erivo is ready to soar as the Out100's cover star
Gascón knows the history of trans representation on screen and knows how important it would be for a film about a trans woman, and starring a trans woman, to get awards buzz.
"I think that at the end, I only represent myself," Gascón told The Advocate's sibling publication Out. "I have a lot of responsibility because a lot of people, maybe they need that representation from me. And I take this with my whole full heart to help the minority that I represent."
"But I think it's not only trans people," she continued. "I think there's a lot of people in this world that need freedom. They need to live in a world in peace with the respect for each other. And I think that is the most important."
Related: 16 trans actors who have been nominated for major acting awards
If Gascón wins, she'll become the first to win a Golden Globe for acting in a film. Michaela Jaé Rodriguez became the first transgender actress to win a Golden Globe in 2022 for her role in the groundbreaking television series Pose.
Emilia Pérez is streaming on Netflix.
