At the premiere of the new musical “Emilia Perez,” star Zoe Saldaña shared that she voted this week, following in the footsteps of Selena Gomez, who dropped off her ballot before the “Wizards Beyond Waverly Place” premiere. The event took place at the 28th American French Film Festival in Hollywood.
“Emilia Perez,” set in Mexico, is a musical crime drama that won an award for its ensemble cast at the Cannes Film Festival. The film features Saldaña, Gomez, Adriana Paz, and Karla Sofía Gascón, who made history as the first openly trans actor to win a major award at Cannes. Netflix is promoting the film for Oscar nominations, including best actress for Gascón.
The film will be in limited theaters before its Netflix release on November 13, right after the U.S. elections. This election season has seen Donald Trump and his supporters making harmful remarks about trans people and Latinos.
“I voted today to take responsibility as an American citizen because this is also my son’s country, and it should be a good place for our children,” Saldaña said, as she aims for an Oscar nomination for her role in the film.
Saldaña, whose mother is Puerto Rican, also spoke out against the racist comments made by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe during a rally in New York.
“It’s sad that in 2024, we still see such poor character in people we call leaders,” she said. “We need leaders who truly represent who we are as humans.”
Gomez also responded to Hinchcliffe’s remarks, stating, “I strongly disagree with any comments made recently. I want to stand by my people.” She shared a video of herself voting to remind others that “one vote can change everything.”
Sofía Gascón reflected on the recent election of Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo as Mexico’s first woman president, expressing hope that people will make rational decisions.
“We don’t want to go back to the past, which wasn’t the best,” she said. “I believe people will choose what’s best for their country and society.”
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