Karla Sofia Gascón, star of the film Emilia Pérez, has become the first openly trans woman to be nominated in the Leading Actress category at the BAFTAs.
The actress has been recognised in the Leading Actress category for her role in Emilia Pérez, in which she stars as a Mexican drug kingpin who transitions into a woman.
In December 2024, Gascón became the first openly trans woman to be nominated in film lead actress category at Golden Globes. At the time she said: “At the end, I only represent myself. I have a lot of responsibility because a lot of people, maybe they need that representation from me. And I take this with my whole full heart to help the minority that I represent.”
“But I think it’s not only trans people” she continued. “There’s a lot of people in this world that need freedom. They need to live in a world in peace with the respect for each other, and I think that is the most important.”
BAFTA counts Elliot Page as a past trans film nominee for his role in Juno, but this was before his transition. Annie Wallace, a trans actress, was nominated for a Scottish BAFTA Award in 2016 for her role in soap Hollyoaks.
Emilia Pérez clinched 11 BAFTA nominations overall. Gascón will compete for the BAFTA alongside five other nominees: Saoirse Ronan (The Outrun), Demi Moore (The Substance), Mikey Madison (Anora), Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Hard Truths) and Cynthia Erivo (Wicked).