The internationally celebrated Mexican-Spanish actress Karla Sofía Gascón has spoken out about her potent role in Emilia Pérez, a film by Jacques Audiard that strives to present entirely fresh themes about identity and gender. Here Gascón plays the title character, Emilia Pérez—a character as indicative of transformation and resilience as makes this role so meaningful for her—and certainly a strong moment for transrepresentation on the big screen.
In Emilia Pérez, his antagonist is a notorious drug lord who changes gender while running for his life. It is as much about survival as it is to truly live, and Gascón sees it as a way of fighting stereotypes and giving audiences a less reductionist idea of what it means to be trans. She talked candidly in a recent interview about how much this fact weighs on her personally, representing this community with honesty and depth, especially in a mainstream setting where less nuanced portrayals of transgender people are so commonplace.
“The movie isn’t just my character’s story,” Gascón said. “It is about understanding how society thinks of people who do not fit into the traditional boxes. I hope people see the strength, vulnerability, and humanity in Emilia.” Gascón, a self-identified trans woman, said this role was emotionally resonant for her. She expressed thanks for Audiard’s creative freedom, which allowed her to give so much of herself to Emilia.
Reflecting on her journey as a trans actress in this cis-identified industry, Gascón said that her life stories gave her an authenticity of being Emilia Pérez in the film. According to Gascón, “the recognition of trans people in top positions can really inspire or give people more depth towards seeing trans identity beyond old stereotypes.”.
“Representation matters,” Gascón pointed out. “For a long time, trans characters have been flatly defined by their gender identity alone. Emilia is so much more than that—she’s powerful, clever, and completely flawed. She’s real.” Gascón hopes that Emilia Pérez will help create even greater empathy and understanding, prodding the industry to push for more stories featuring diverse, authentic images of trans people.
Gascón hopes audiences appreciate Emilia’s story as the film debuts. Trans lives in Hollywood are being transformed by individuals like Emilia Pérez, and Gascón’s role would be a giant leap forward toward garnering that much-needed visibility and acceptance within the community.
