Zoe Saldaña stressed the importance of people’s “right to be who they are” as she accepted her Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award on Sunday, Feb. 23. The ceremony marked the 30th annual SAG Awards, celebrating excellence in film and television performances.
The 46-year-old actress picked up the Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role accolade for Emilia Pérez and after paying tribute to fellow nominees Monica Barbaro (A Complete Unknown), Jamie Lee Curtis (The Last Showgirl), Danielle Deadwyler (The Piano Lesson) and Ariana Grande (Wicked), the star admitted she was “so grateful” to have the support of the actors’ union. This marks Saldaña’s first SAG Award win after three previous nominations.
“To be in this room is a true honor. this is my community, this is my circus,” she said, speaking on stage at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. The historic venue has hosted the SAG Awards ceremony since 1999, welcoming Hollywood’s finest talents annually.
“Thank you to SAG-AFTRA. I got my first SAG card in 1998. I didn’t even know what SAG was,” Saldaña continued. The Screen Actors Guild, now merged with AFTRA, represents more than 160,000 performers worldwide.
“Thank you to my fellow nominees, it was an honor to watch your performances this year, I was deeply moved,” she expressed. The category featured some of the year’s most critically acclaimed supporting performances across various genres.
“I am grateful that my mother and father and sisters looked it up and helped me educate myself to know what it means to be a part of a union that protects me so I can make a living out of this crazy industry,” she reflected. SAG-AFTRA‘s history of protecting performers’ rights dates back to 1933.
After thanking her “working family,” and her “beautiful” family, Saldaña highlighted the message of the movie was “truth and love” and urged actors to embrace their “artistic freedom.” Emilia Pérez has garnered widespread acclaim for its groundbreaking storytelling and powerful performances.
“I am proud to be a part of a union that allows me to be who I am. I’ve never been questioned where I come from or judged for how I speak or what my pronouns are. Everyone has the right to be who they are,” she declared. Her words resonated particularly strongly following recent industry discussions about representation and inclusion.
“Emilia Pérez is about truth and love and us actors really have to tell stories that are thought-provoking and beautiful and live within the spectrum of artistic freedom,” she concluded. The film has already received multiple accolades this awards season, including critical praise for its sensitive handling of identity themes.
Saldana’s win represents a significant milestone in her career, which spans over two decades in Hollywood. Since her breakout roles in the early 2000s, she has become one of the industry’s most versatile performers, successfully crossing between independent films and major blockbusters.
The evening’s ceremony also marked a historic moment for the SAG Awards, as it was the first time the show was streamed globally on Netflix, reaching millions of viewers worldwide. The partnership between SAG-AFTRA and Netflix signifies a new era for awards show broadcasting.
Saldaña‘s powerful acceptance speech quickly became one of the night’s most talked-about moments, trending on social media platforms and garnering support from fellow actors and industry professionals. Her message about inclusivity and artistic freedom resonated with viewers and industry members alike.
The win for Emilia Pérez adds to the film’s growing list of accolades, which includes numerous critics’ awards and festival recognitions. The movie has been praised for its innovative storytelling and commitment to authentic representation, themes that Saldaña emphasized in her acceptance speech.
