Karla Sofía Gascón Becomes First Openly Trans Woman Nominated for Oscar for Best Actress

Karla Sofía Gascón Becomes First Openly Trans Woman Nominated for Oscar for Best Actress

Karla Sofía Gascón, the Spanish-born star of Emilia Pérez, was nominated Thursday morning for the 2025 Oscars for best actress, making her the first openly transgender performer to be so honored. (The only known previous trans acting nominee, Elliott Page, got the nod in 2008 for Juno, twelve years before revealing his gender identity.) 

Gascón was recognized for her performance in the Jacques Audiard–directed musical drama as a Mexican cartel leader who transitions and dedicates herself to aiding the victims of gang violence. She stars opposite fellow Oscar nominee Zoe Saldaña, Selena Gomez and Adriana Paz; all four shared the best actress prize at last year’s Cannes Film Festival. 

The critical praise and awards attention for Gascón has made her a lightning rod among anti-trans circles, earning her online abuse and even death threats. She has gladly confronted the attacks. When French far-right firebrand Marion Maréchal lamented on X that “a man has won best actress,” Gascón sued the politician for the “sexist insult.” 

Her history-making nomination comes at a precarious time for trans rights, just days after President Trump signed an executive order declaring that the government will recognize only biological genders. 

“He is shameless,” Gascón told The Hollywood Reporter this week, decrying the venomous discourse surrounding trans issues in general. “I hope that whatever needs to happen happens to shut everyone up, on both sides.” 

An outspoken advocate for trans rights in Spain and abroad, Gascón took to the Golden Globes stage at the Beverly Hilton earlier this month, after Emilia Pérez won the last award of the night, for best motion picture — musical or comedy. “The light always wins over darkness,” she said, wearing a saffron dress meant to reflect her Buddhist faith. “You come and maybe put us in jail, you can beat us up [but] you never can take away our soul, our existence, our identity.”

Last month, the Madrid native told THR that she felt the trans cause was combating strong socio-cultural headwinds. 

“We are going backwards,” she said. “The new generations have not experienced what the previous ones have experienced, so they are destined to repeat the same mistakes. Be careful with giving power to the intolerant, because it will end the little tolerance we have.”

Gascón sets own awards campaign against the backdrop of bigotry. “There is something beautiful happening in society,” she told THR. “Many people are waiting for me to be nominated somewhere. If I’m given that award, they’ll jump for joy.”

For this year’s Oscars, Emilia Pérez picked up 13 nominations, setting a record and becoming the most nominated film not in the English language at the Oscars.