You’ve probably seen the headlines or the neon-soaked clips on your feed. A musical about a cartel boss who transitions? It sounds like a fever dream. But the question that keeps popping up as people finish the movie is simple: who plays Emilia Perez?
The answer is Karla Sofía Gascón.
She isn't just "the lead." She’s the heart of a film that has basically rewritten the rules for what an Oscar contender looks like. Honestly, her performance is so transformative that if you didn't know it was the same person playing the grizzled, terrifying Juan "Manitas" Del Monte and the elegant, repentant Emilia, you’d be forgiven for thinking the director hired two different actors.
The Breakthrough of Karla Sofía Gascón
So, who is she? Before she became the talk of Hollywood and Cannes, Gascón had a long, grinding career in Spanish telenovelas. She was born in Alcobendas, Spain, in 1972—sharing a hometown with Penelope Cruz, funnily enough.
She spent years working under a different name before transitioning in 2018. When she did, she was terrified her career was over. The industry isn't always kind to change. But instead of fading away, she landed the role of a lifetime in Jacques Audiard’s Emilia Pérez.
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The film is a wild mix. It's a narco-thriller. It's a musical. It's a drama about redemption. Gascón plays a Mexican drug kingpin who fakes her death to finally live as her true self. She’s the first openly trans woman to win Best Actress at Cannes (an award she shared with co-stars Selena Gomez and Zoe Saldaña) and the first to be nominated for a Lead Actress Oscar.
Why This Role is Controversial and Brilliant
Playing Emilia Perez wasn't just about acting for Gascón. It was about persistence. Originally, the director, Jacques Audiard, wanted two separate actors to play the "before" and "after" versions of the character.
Gascón wouldn't have it.
She fought to play both parts. She wanted to show the bridge between the violent Manitas and the benevolent Emilia. To do this, she had to tap into two different vocal registers and sit through hours of prosthetic work to look like a hardened cartel boss.
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There's been some pushback, though. Some critics in the trans community argue the film leans into old tropes—the idea of a "criminal" using transition to hide. Others point out that while the film is set in Mexico, the director is French and the lead is Spanish. It’s a messy, complicated conversation. But most people agree on one thing: Gascón’s talent is undeniable. She brings a "light and dark" nuance that prevents the character from becoming a caricature.
The Supporting Cast Around Emilia
While Gascón is the titular star, she’s backed by a heavy-hitting ensemble that helps ground the more surreal musical numbers.
- Zoe Saldaña plays Rita, the lawyer who facilitates the transition. Saldaña is basically the glue of the movie, handling the most intense dance sequences.
- Selena Gomez plays Jessi, Manitas’s unsuspecting wife. It’s a gritty role for Gomez, showing a side of her we haven't seen in Only Murders in the Building.
- Adriana Paz plays Epifania, a woman Emilia meets while trying to make amends for her past life.
Where You’ve Seen Her Before
If Karla Sofía Gascón looks familiar, you might be a fan of Mexican TV. Before her international breakout, she starred in the massive hit Nosotros los Nobles (2013) and the popular series El Señor de los Cielos.
She also appeared in the 2022 reboot of Rebelde on Netflix. But let’s be real—nothing compares to the scale of Emilia Pérez. This movie took her from a dependable TV actress to a history-making icon.
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What’s Next for the Star?
Despite the 2025 awards season being a bit of a roller coaster—including some drama over resurfaced tweets that she later apologized for—Gascón’s place in cinema history is set. She’s proven she can carry a massive, genre-bending production on her shoulders.
If you're looking to watch her performance, Emilia Pérez is currently streaming on Netflix in most regions. It’s worth it just to see the "Mammoplasty" musical number, which is unlike anything else you’ll see this year.
To get the full experience of Gascón's range, watch the film in its original Spanish audio. The way she shifts her voice between Manitas and Emilia is a masterclass in vocal control that sometimes gets lost in dubbing. Once you've finished the film, look up her earlier work in Nosotros los Nobles to see just how far her craft has evolved over the decades.