Zoe Saldaña is officially an Oscar winner!
The 46-year-old actress took home the award for Best Supporting Actress at the 97th Annual Academy Awards on Sunday for her powerful portrayal of Rita Mora Castro in the film Emilia Pérez. Her win makes her the first Dominican American actor to ever win an Academy Award. Saldaña accepted the honor in a tiered bubble-hem gown from Saint Laurent and tearfully cried out for her mother, who was in the audience, before beginning her acceptance speech.
“I am floored by this honor. Thank you to the Academy for recognizing the quiet heroism and the power in a woman like Rita,” she said onstage. “And talking about powerful women: My fellow nominees, the love and community that you have offered me is a true gift, and I will pay it forward.”
She went on to thank the film’s director, Jacques Audiard, and the entire cast of Emilia Pérez, along with her family and her husband, Marco Perego-Saldaña.
“Thank you so much, Jacques Audiard. You are forever 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,” she continued. “To my cast and my crew of Emilia Pérez, I’m sharing this award with you. To my mom, my dad, and my sisters, my [children]—everything brave, outrageous, and good that I’ve ever done in my life is because of you. Thank you so much. And to my husband, with that beautiful hair—the biggest honor of my life is being your partner. You hung the moon. Our beautiful, perfect sons, Cy, Bowie, and Zen—they fill our skies every night with stars.”
Saldaña also took the time to highlight the fact that she is the daughter of immigrants toward the end of her remarks, thanking her grandparents for the strength that they instilled in her and her family.
“My grandmother came to this country in 1961. I am a proud child of immigrant parents—and I am the first American of Dominican origin to accept [this award],” she said. “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. Thank you so much, muchas gracias.”
