‘Emilia Pérez’ Cast on Why the Musical Film Is a ‘Gift’: We Had the Opportunity to ‘Showcase Everything We Consider Art’

variety.com:

Clayton Davis Senior Awards Editor For Karla Sofía Gascón, the star of “Emilia Pérez” who can make Oscar history as the first trans actress ever to be nominated, she’s proud of what she executes in the high-energy musical. “It is a very complicated character, which is at the stature of the huge Hollywood characters — a kind of character Marlon Brando, or Meryl Streep, or Javier Bardem would play,” Gascón said via an interpreter during an interview at the Variety Studio, sponsored by J.Crew and SharkNinja, at the Toronto International Film Festival. “It was a huge challenge to put myself in the skin of such a layered and complex character.

I had to change my voice and accent. I had to sing. I’m proud of what I see when I look at myself on screen. In a word that sums it all up — it’s a gift that life gave me.” Gascón, along with her “Emilia Pérez” castmates — Selena Gomez, Zoe Saldaña, Édgar Ramírez and Adriana Paz — praised director Jacques Audiard’s vision for the critically acclaimed musical.

In addition to playing the titular character, Gascón portrays the drug lord kingpin that Emilia transitions from being, a process that reminded her of her own experiences.

Saldaña, known for starring in four of the highest-grossing films of all time, believes “Emilia Pérez” allowed her to do things no other role asked of her before. “Being in blue and green had its benefits,” Saldaña said with a laugh, referring to her roles in “Avatar” and “Guardians of the Galaxy.” “The connection it gave me with science fiction, which I do have a natural affinity for.