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The 97th Academy Awards (Oscars 2025) took place on March 2, 2025, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles. In the Best Supporting Actress category, Zoe Saldana took home her first Oscar for her role as Rita Castro in Emilia Pérez.
Hosted by comedian Conan O'Brien, the ceremony was broadcast live on ABC and streamed on Hulu for the first time. The night kicked off with a performance by Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, who performed a medley of songs from Wicked.
The Oscars 2025 celebrated the best films of 2024, with Emilia Pérez leading the pack with 13 nominations. Other top contenders included The Brutalist and Wicked, each securing 10 nods.
Saldaña, a front-runner throughout the awards season, had already won a Golden Globe, BAFTA, Critics Choice, and Screen Actors Guild Award for the same role.
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Her win marked a historic moment, making her the first American of Dominican origin to earn an Academy Award. An emotional Saldaña dedicated her win to her family, and celebrated her heritage as a proud child of immigrant parents.
Zoe Saldaña wins her first Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Emilia Pérez at Oscars 2025
Zoe Saldaña took home the Best Supporting Actress award at the 97th Academy Awards for her role in Emilia Pérez, and this win was her first Oscar. She played Rita Castro, who worked as a struggling lawyer and got hired by a Mexican drug lord to help with gender-affirming surgery.
The drug lord became Emilia Pérez— played by Karla Sofía Gascón, who made history as the first openly transgender actor to get an Oscar nomination. Jacques Audiard directed the Spanish-language narco-musical, and it topped the night with 13 nominations, which was more than any other film this year.
In her acceptance speech, Saldaña was visibly emotional.
“Mami! Mami! My mom is here. My whole family is here. I am floored by this honor,” Saldaña stated in her speech.
She also thanked the Academy for “recognizing the quiet heroism and the power in a woman like Rita.”
Saldaña acknowledged her fellow nominees at the Oscars 2025, describing the support and community they provided as a “true gift.” She expressed gratitude to her family, saying,
“My grandmother came to this country in 1961. I am a proud child of immigrant parents. With dreams and dignity and hard-working hands. I am the first American of Dominican origin to accept an Academy Award, and I know I will not be the last.”
Saldaña performed songs and danced in Emilia Pérez, which mixed musical elements with a crime story. The film focused on Rita’s struggle to help a drug lord become Emilia Pérez, while dealing with tough moral choices.
The story looked at identity, transformation, and redemption. Saldaña mentioned that her grandmother would have loved seeing her win for a role where she could speak and sing in Spanish.
Her performance got a lot of praise, even though the film faced controversy. She stayed the top choice during awards season, and this Oscar win put Saldaña in the history books, proving her performance stood out among strong competition this year.
You can watch the Oscars 2025 on Hulu.
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