Her victory tour didn’t last long.
Zoe Saldaña found herself apologizing about “Emilia Perez” — just minutes after she won the best supporting actress Oscar for her role in the drama.
In the press interview room, a journalist told Saldaña, 46, that the movie had been “hurtful for us Mexicans.”
“First of all, I’m very, very sorry that many Mexicans felt offended. That was never our intention. We spoke from a place of love,” Saldaña replied, per Variety.
The “Avatar” star added: “I don’t share your opinion. For me, the heart of this movie was not Mexico. We were making a film about friendship. We were making a film about four women.”
The movie follows a Mexican cartel kingpin (Karla Sofia Gascon) who transitions into a woman, with help from a lawyer (Saldaña). Selena Gomez co-stars.
“The cartels are these symbolic metaphorical ideas in the American imagination,” Héctor Tobar, author of “Our Migrant Souls” and professor at the University of California in Irvine, told USA Today.
Regarding “Emilia Perez,” he added, “That subject material is always going to be extremely problematic and like every other film about cartels, it can’t help but glorify them.”
Saldaña continued her defense of the film by saying that the main characters “could have been Russian, could have been Dominican, could have been Black from Detroit, could have been from Israel, could have been from Gaza.”
She added, “And these women are still very universal women that are struggling every day, but trying to survive systemic oppression and trying to find the most authentic voices. So I will stand by that, but I’m also always open to sit down with all of my Mexican brothers and sisters, with love and respect, [to have] a great conversation on how ‘Emilia Pérez’ could have been done better. I welcome it.”
Earlier in the night, during her acceptance speech at the Oscars, Saldaña emotionally opened up about her family and upbringing.
“My grandmother came to this country in 1961 — I am a proud child of immigrant parents. With dreams and dignity and hard-working hands, and I am the first American of Dominican origin to accept an Academy Award, and I know I will not be the last. I hope,” she said onstage at LA’s Dolby Theatre.
She noted, “The fact that I’m getting an award for a role where I got to sing and speak in Spanish — my grandmother, if she were here, she would be so delighted, this is for my grandmother.”
“Emilia Perez” went into the night with 13 Oscar nominations but got smoked by surprise winner “Anora” and won just two trophies — best supporting actress for Saldaña and best original song for “El Mal.”