The Spanish actress talks about the role that’s winning her Oscar buzz, and how her own transition influenced the film

Karla Sofía Gascón’s performance in “Emilia Pérez” as a Mexican drug lord who undergoes gender affirmation surgery to become a woman has brought her global acclaim and set Gascón on a path that may make her the first openly transgender actor ever nominated for an Oscar.

If Karla Sofía Gascón nabs an Oscar nomination for Emilia Pérez—and most award predictions suspect she will—she will become the first ever trans woman nominated for Best Actress. And she’ll absolutely deserve it for her captivating,

The vibrant trans narco musical, Emilia Pérez, out November 13 on Netflix, is an astonishing, operatic story of love, violence, and the power of women. Director Jacques Audiard’s film, which won Best Actress (ensemble cast) and a Jury Prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival,

For Emilia Pérez star Karla Sofía Gascón, playing the titular role was something she knew she had to fight for. But she didn't just want to play Emilia — she also insisted on playing the character before her gender-affirming surgery,