Who's Karla Sofia Gascon? Trans actor making Oscar history
What's the story
Karla Sofia Gascon, the star of the Spanish-language movie musical Emilia Perez, has made history as the first openly trans female actor to receive an Oscar nomination.
She is nominated for Best Actress along with Demi Moore (The Substance), Mikey Madison (Anora), Cynthia Erivo (Wicked), and Fernanda Torres for I'm Still Here.
This is a major milestone in Oscar history as it's the first time an openly trans actor has been recognized in this category.
Role significance
First, here's more about Gascon's role in 'Emilia Perez'
In Emilia Perez, Gascon plays a Mexican drug kingpin who transitions through gender-affirming surgery and starts a new life as a social worker.
The film also stars Zoe Saldana, Selena Gomez, and Adriana Paz.
Despite the historical ignorance of trans actors in the awards circuit, Gascon stays focused on her work and hopes to educate people on what it means to be trans.
Actor
Gascon's transition journey began in 2018
Born in Madrid, Gascon (52) has had a long acting career.
She acted in telenovelas such as Hasta el fin del mundo and Llena de amor after moving to Mexico from Spain in 2009.
Gascon began her transitioning journey in 2018 and was cast in Emilia Perez in 2022.
She has a wife and a daughter.
Quote
'Just want to live my life without anybody bothering me'
While Gascon might script history by bagging an Oscar, her campaign trail has been full of obstructions and prejudices. Speaking to USA Today earlier, she had revealed being asked by a viewer whether she'd be nominated in the actor/actress category. Gascon replied: "Ma'am, I'm an actress! If I played a monster or an old dog, I would still be nominated as an actress!'" "I just want to live my life without anybody bothering me-everyone deserves to be themselves," she added.
Award dominance
'Emilia Perez' leads 2025 Oscar nominations with 13 nods
Emilia Perez has swept the 2025 Oscar nominations with a whopping 13 nods, including Best Picture, Best Director for Jacques Audiard, and Best Supporting Actress for Saldana.
The film's songs El Mal and Mi Camino have also been nominated in the Best Original Song category.
However, Gomez was snubbed for Best Supporting Actress despite being nominated by the Golden Globes and British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA).
Golden victory
'Emilia Perez' swept Golden Globe Awards amid controversy
Earlier this month, Emilia Perez was a big winner at the Golden Globe Awards, winning four awards including Best Supporting Actress for Saldana and Best Non-English Language Motion Picture.
While receiving the best motion picture award, Gascon gave an emotional message of resilience and self-affirmation, saying, "The light always wins over darkness."
Despite its success, the film has been criticized for its lack of Mexican representation in the leading cast and crew and its portrayal of the Mexican drug war.