Zoe Saldaña shared some words of support for her fellow actors while celebrating her win for Emilia Pérez at the SAG Awards 2025 ceremony.
Saldaña won the SAG Award for outstanding performance by a female actor in a supporting role during the event on Sunday. While accepting her prize, Saldaña emphasized how welcomed she has felt as a member of SAG-AFTRA.
“I am proud to be a part of a union that allows me to be who I am, and I’ve never been questioned about where I come from and judged by how I speak or what my pronouns are,” the star told the crowd from the stage. “I believe that everybody has the right to be who they are, and Emilia Pérez is about truth, and it is about love. And I think that us as actors, now more than ever before, we really have to tell stories that are beautiful and thought-provoking and live within the spectrum of artistic freedom.”
Saldaña did not mention her Emilia Pérez co-stars, including Selena Gomez and Karla Sofía Gascón, or the movie’s director, Jacques Audiard. Gascón, who is nominated for the SAG Award for best actress, has been at the center of controversy in recent weeks over offensive resurfaced tweets.
Nominated in the category were Monica Barbaro (A Complete Unknown), Jamie Lee Curtis (The Last Showgirl), Danielle Deadwyler (The Piano Lesson) and Ariana Grande (Wicked). The award was presented by Keke Palmer and Colman Domingo.
The win continues Saldaña’s hot streak leading up to next weekend’s Academy Awards ceremony after her recent victories at the Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Critics’ Choice Awards.
Last year, Da’Vine Joy Randolph prevailed in the category for her role in The Holdovers. She went on to win the best supporting actress Oscar for her performance.
The SAG Awards streamed live on Netflix from the Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall in Los Angeles. (See the red carpet arrivals.)