Following her win at the Oscars, Zoë Salaña was caught in an awkward moment by a reporter.
The actress made history by becoming the first American of Dominican heritage to win an Oscar, taking home the Best Supporting Actress trophy for her role in Emilia Pérez.
However, moments after her emotional acceptance speech, she found herself in the hot seat backstage, defending the film against criticism.
Saldaña, 46, won for her performance as Rita Mora Castro, a defense lawyer caught in the world of a cartel leader in Emilia Pérez, a Spanish-language musical directed by Jacques Audiard.
Overwhelmed with emotion, she delivered a touching acceptance speech, dedicating her win to the film’s cast and crew as well as her late grandmother.
“I am floored... Thank you to the Academy for recognizing the quiet heroism and the power in a woman like Rita,” she said.
She also expressed gratitude to Audiard, telling him: “Jacques, you are a beloved character in my life. Thank you for taking the interest, thank you for being so curious about these women to tell this story," adding: "To my cast and my crew of Emilia Pérez. I’m sharing this award with you."
Turning to her family, she shared: “Everything brave, outrageous, and good that I’ve ever done in my life is because of you.” She also honored her husband, Marco Perego-Saldaña, calling him the “biggest honor” of her life.
“You hung the moon in our beautiful, perfect sons, Cy, Bowie, and Zen. They fill our skies every night with stars," she said.
Saldaña concluded by reflecting on her roots and the significance of her win. “I am a proud child of immigrant parents. With dreams and dignity and hard-working hands, and I am the first American of Dominican origin to accept an Academy Award, and I know I will not be the last, I hope.”
She dedicated her award to her grandmother, adding: “The fact that I’m getting an award for a role where I got to sing and speak in Spanish - my grandmother, if she were here, she would be so delighted; this is for my grandmother.”
But as Saldaña basked in the moment, she was quickly met with tough questions backstage about the controversy surrounding Emilia Pérez, per News.com.au.
The Netflix film follows a Mexican cartel boss (played by Karla Sofía Gascón) who transitions from male to female.
While praised for its bold storytelling, the film has faced backlash from members of both the Mexican and transgender communities, who argue it mishandles their experiences.
One Mexican journalist confronted Saldaña about the criticism, asking how she felt about the film being “hurtful” to Mexico. The actress didn’t hesitate to respond.
“First of all, I’m very, very sorry that you and so many Mexicans felt offended. That was never our intention. We came from a place of love and I will stand by that,” she said.
She also pushed back against the idea that the film was about a single country.
“I will say that I don’t share your opinion. For me, the heart of this movie is not Mexico. We weren’t making a film about a country. We were making a film about four women. And these women could have been Russian, could have been Dominican, could be Black from Detroit, could have been from Israel, could have been from Gaza,” she said.
Saldaña went on to defend the film’s message: “And these women are still very universal. Women that are struggling every day and trying to survive systemic oppression and trying to find their most authentic voices.
“So I will stand by that. But I’m also always open to sit down with all of my Mexican brothers and sisters, and with love and respect, have a great conversation on how Emilia could have been done better. No problem.”