Zoe Saldaña Reveals Her Oscar Is ‘Trans’ and Prefers ‘They/Them’ Pronouns: “My Gender-Fluid Award Graces My Office”

Zoe Saldaña
told People
On the red carpet at theDisney and Pixar’s “Elio” premiere, the actress mentioned that she won an Oscar earlier this year for her role as a supporting artist in theNetflix musical drama “Emilia Perez,” noting that she identifies as transgender. When asked about the location of her award, the performer replied, “It’s kept in my office, and I viewmy Oscarasgender-fluid.” She further elaboratedthatthe statuerepresentsa transidentityanduses pronouns they/them.

In Jacques Audiard’s film “Emilia Perez,” Zoe Saldana took home the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Rita, a lawyer who decides to assist a vicious drug lord through gender transition surgery. This acclaimed role propelled her to victory throughout the award circuit in 2025; she had previously secured support acting accolades from prestigious bodies such as the Golden Globe Awards, Critics’ Choice Movie Awards, British Academy Film Awards, and the Screen Actors Guild Awards before clinching the ultimate honor at the Oscars. At the Cannes Film Festival, Saldana also received the top acting prize alongside fellow cast members Karla Sofia Gascón, Selena Gomez, and Adriana Paz.

At the Oscars, Saldanã competed in the Supporting Actress category against Monica Barbaro, who portrayed Joan Báez in “A Complete Unknown”; Isabella Rossellini for her role in “Conclave”; Felicity Jones from “The Brutalist”; and Ariana Grande for “Wicked”.

Saldaña carries forward a legacy similar to Jamie Lee Curtis, who did the same thing.
they/them pronouns
After winning Best Supporting Actress for “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” Curtis spoke about how she was using gender-fluid pronouns for her Oscar statuette in solidarity with her daughter Ruby, who is non-binary.
came out as transgender
to their family in the year 2020.

“Thank you to the Academy for acknowledging the subtle bravery and strength found in a woman such as Rita,” Saldana stated during her Oscars acceptance speech. “Jacques, you’re an cherished figure in my world. Thanks for your engagement. Appreciation goes out for your curiosity in bringing these women’s stories forward. And to my fellow actors and dedicated team behind ‘صند
Emilia Perez
I’m sharing this award with all of you.

Saldaña subsequently became emotional and choked up as she talked passionately about her family and her grandmother, stating: “In 1961, my grandmother arrived in this nation—I’m a proud offspring of immigrants… I represent the first individual with Dominican roots to receive an Academy Award, and I genuinely believe I won’t remain the only one. Hopefully. It means a great deal to me to be honored for a part where I had the chance to perform and converse in Spanish—were my grandmother present today, she’d be overjoyed; this accolade is dedicated to her.”

Coming up next for Saldaña is a voice acting part in “Elio,” which will be released in theaters on June 20 by Disney and Pixar.