Karla Sofía Gascón Becomes First Trans Woman Nominated for Acting at the Oscars

The “Emilia Pérez” star leads Jacques Audiard’s Spanish-language film as a Mexican cartel boss who transitions to a woman

Karla Sofía Gascón attends the 82nd Annual Golden Globe Awards (Credit: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)
Karla Sofía Gascón attends the 82nd Annual Golden Globe Awards (Credit: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)

Karla Sofía Gascón made Oscar history Thursday as the first openly transgender actor to land an Academy Award nomination.

Gascón scored her first career nomination Thursday morning in the Best Actress category for her lead role in Jacques Audiard’s Spanish-language operatic musical, “Emilia Pérez,” cementing her place in the Oscar history books.

The landmark Oscar nomination is groundbreaking for the transgender community as it marks the first time an out trans actor has broken through in a major acting category with the Academy.

Gascón isn’t the first trans actor to be recognized by the Academy, however. Elliot Page, who was nominated for an Oscar in 2008 for their leading role in “Juno,” came out as trans through

Comments