Selena Gomez makes feeling clear on co-star Zoe Saldaña winning Oscars 2025

The 97th Academy Awards brought a historic moment for actress Zoe Saldaña as she won her first-ever Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role in 'Emilia Pérez.' She has been a part of franchises like Avatar, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Star Trek.

Her win was notably met with admiration from her 'Emilia Pérez' co-stars, including Selena Gomez. Speaking to Variety on the Oscars 2025 red carpet, Selena expressed her joy, saying,

"Oh gosh, I was a baby—I mean, everything! She’s just radiant, she deserves every moment."

Thus, the beloved singer celebrated Zoe Saldaña’s hard-earned success.

Zoe Saldaña’s road to Oscar glory

'Emilia Pérez' is a musical crime directed by French filmmaker Jacques Audiard. Zoe Saldaña’s performance in the film was a shift from her mainly sci-fi and action roles.

She plays Rita Mora Castro, a lawyer who assists a cartel boss in faking his death and transitioning into a new identity. The role required her to act, dance, and sing. Many believe it allowed her to showcase a depth of talent often overshadowed by her franchise films.

Her Oscars 2025 acceptance speech highlighted her Dominican roots as she dedicated the award to her grandmother, who immigrated to the U.S. in 1961, Vanity Fair reports. Per India TV, the star stated in her speech,

"My grandmother came to this country in 1961, I am a proud child of immigrant parents. With dreams and dignity and hard-working hands, I am the first American of Dominican origin to accept an Academy Award, and I know I will not be the last. I hope. 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."

BuzzFeed's Editorial Director Spencer Althouse took to his official X (formerly Twitter) page to share,

"Zoe Saldana's Oscar speech was so sweet "I am the first American of Dominican origin to accept an Academy Award, and I know I will not be the last! I hope 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.""

Fans weighed in on the comment section of the post to share their thoughts. Below are some of their comments:

"Brilliant speech indeed", shared an X user.

"Zoe always telling a different story each time she won.", stated another.

"Wish she was accepting this for a better movie and role...", declared a third.

Though Emilia Pérez' may not have dominated the Oscars, Zoe Saldaña’s win still marks a major moment for the film.

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