Spanish-born actor Karla Sofía Gascón made history Thursday as the first openly transgender performer to be nominated for a best actress Oscar.
Ms. Gascón earned the nod for her lead role in “Emilia Pérez,” a musical drama directed by Jacques Audiard.
“Emilia Pérez,” which also stars Zoe Saldaña, Selena Gomez and Adriana Paz, has been a standout this awards season: All four actors shared the best actress prize at the Cannes Film Festival last year, and earlier this month the film won best musical or comedy at the Golden Globes, where Ms. Saldaña also garnered the best actress award.
With 13 Oscar nominations, “Emilia Pérez” has set a record for the most nominations for a non-English language film.
The musical tells the story of a Mexican cartel leader who transitions and dedicates her life to helping gang violence victims, a role that has led to acclaim from audiences and critics alike.
Ms. Gascón’s rising profile has also made her the target of online criticism, like that from prominent figures such as French politician Marion Maréchal, who referred to her as “a man” in a social media post decrying her awards win at the Cannes Film Festival in France.
Ms. Gascón responded by filing a lawsuit against Mr. Maréchal for what she described as a “sexist insult.”
Her lawyer said the legal complaint was levied for “sexist insult on the basis of gender identity,” according to The Guardian.
The Academy Awards ceremony will be held on March 2.
• Emma Ayers can be reached at eayers@washingtontimes.com.
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