Emilia Pérez star Karla Sofía Gascón makes Oscar history as first trans actress to be nominated
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The 52-year-old actress came out as a trans woman in 2016. Gascón’s 2025 Oscar nomination for Best Actor comes after her leading performance was recognized by the Golden Globes and the Screen Actors Guild Awards. “Thank you so much @theacademy @emiliaperezfilm,” she wrote on X/Twitter today following her nomination announcement.
![[Karla Sofía Gascón becomes the first-ever openly trans woman to land an Oscar nomination]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/23/15/newFile-3.jpg)
“When I finished my transition, I didn’t know if I was going to have a career after that,” she told the newspaper. Before she came out, the Madrid-born actor had primarily starred in Mexican telenovelas. But the trajectory of her career drastically changed the minute she auditioned in front of Audiard, the French film director and three-time Golden Globe winner.
![[The actress shares heartfelt message on X after nomination announcement]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/23/15/Screenshot-2025-01-23-at-10.22.09%E2%80%AFAM.jpg)
Though Audiard originally planned to cast a cisgender male for the role of Manitas in Emilia Pérez, Gascón convinced him she could play both characters. “I can tell you that from an egocentric point of view, I’m mad that people don’t realize it’s me playing both, but at the same time, I feel very proud, too,” she told the Times.
Consani, the 21-year-old talent who’s fiercely walked every runway from Chanel to Simone Rocha, made history as the first trans model to receive the coveted accolade. At the ceremony, Consani paid tribute to the individuals who’ve inspired and motivated her over the years. “I’m the first trans woman to win this award,” she said.
“But I can’t accept this award without thanking those who came before me, specifically the Black trans women who really fought for the space I’m in today — Dominique Jackson, Connie Fleming, Aaron Rose Phillips and countless more who fought for the space that allowed me to flourish today.
