Emilia Perez star to attend Oscars despite offensive tweets controversy
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Spanish actress Karla Sofia Gascon arrives for the Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, California, on Jan 5.
PHOTO: AFP
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LOS ANGELES – Spanish actress Karla Sofia Gascon will be at the Oscars ceremony slated to be held on March 2 in Hollywood, despite weeks of controversy over offensive past comments and being frozen out of Netflix’s awards campaign, media reports said.
Gascon, the first transgender woman nominated for best actress for her role in narco musical Emilia Perez, has been absent from the film world’s glitzy awards season after old Islamophobic and racist social media posts of hers were unearthed.
The 52-year-old, who plays a Mexican cartel boss in Jacques Audiard’s genre-defying movie, compounded the issue with tone-deaf media interviews that left Netflix scrambling to contain the damage to a film that had previously looked to be a front runner for Oscars glory.
Hollywood trade titles Variety and Deadline both reported the troubled star would be attending the Oscars ceremony on March 2, and said Netflix would be picking up the tab for her travel – something studios customarily do for their nominees.
“I’m not sure how I feel, but I’m grateful to be back,” Gascon told The Hollywood Reporter on Feb 24.
“I’m grateful to all those who’ve believed in me – to Netflix, the production company and my colleagues. We can close this beautiful and difficult path that began three years ago.”
It was not immediately clear if she would walk the red carpet at the Dolby Theatre on the day of the ceremony, or whether she would give interviews.
Nor was it known if she would be sitting near co-stars Selena Gomez and Zoe Saldana – the latter is widely predicted to take home the best supporting actress trophy on Oscar night – or director Audiard.
Variety reported that Gascon was also set to attend the Cesar Awards – France’s equivalent of the Oscars – in Paris on Feb 28.
Emilia Perez has divided audiences, with some marvelling at its innovative approach to an unorthodox subject, and others criticising what they say are its cliches about Mexico and its twee treatment of brutal gangs.
Gascon stars as a drug cartel boss who transitions to life as a woman and turns her back on crime, dedicating her life to finding the bodies of those who vanished at the hands of crime bosses.
The mostly Spanish-language movie filmed in France and set in Mexico has been nominated for 13 Oscars, including best picture and best director.
While Saldana has swept the board in her category throughout the season, most recently picking up the Screen Actors Guild Award for best supporting actress, the film has otherwise largely failed to impress awards voters. AFP
