The anticipation surrounding Jacques Audiard’s musical drama Emilia Pérez is palpable.
Following its Cannes premiere and selection as France’s entry for the Best International Feature Oscar, the film’s ensemble cast, including Selena Gomez, Zoe Saldaña, Karla Sofia Gascón, and Adriana Paz, is garnering attention.
Gomez, fresh from her Emmy nomination for Only Murders in the Building, remains grounded amidst the Oscar buzz.
“I don’t like to think anything or be presumptuous,” she shared with The Hollywood Reporter at the Los Angeles premiere. “I’m just going to say I’m so happy people are receiving it the way they are.”
In Emilia Pérez, Gomez plays Jessi, the wife of a ruthless cartel leader who undergoes a transformative journey. Her powerful musical number, “Beinvenida,” was also her audition piece.
“I had no idea the concept he was going for,” Gomez recalled. “The director, Jacques, literally said to me, ‘Act drunk and throw your shoes if you want and do all this stuff and just go crazy.’ And I was like, ‘Oh? OK.'”
Gomez’s music background and early start in the industry prepared her for the film’s musical demands. However, she didn’t need to offer advice to her co-stars.
“They didn’t need it,” Gomez laughed. “Everybody was vulnerable, and it was real, and we just did the best that we could.”
Édgar Ramírez, who performs a duet with Gomez in the film, praised their on-screen chemistry. “It was very cute and it was real… We both felt so safe with each other, and I think that that shows in the film.”
Zoe Saldaña, who plays Rita, a lawyer entangled in Manitas/Emilia Pérez’s life, focused on understanding her character’s journey.
“It takes discipline to not judge a character as you’re approaching it,” Saldaña reflected.
Karla Sofia Gascón, the trans actress who plays Emilia Pérez, learned to sing on-screen for the film.
“Life puts you in the way of what you need to learn,” Gascón said. “I didn’t want to learn in my life to dance or to sing, and then life says to you, ‘You don’t like? Wait a moment.'”
While Gascón jokingly hopes to avoid future musicals, Ramírez is eager for his next musical project. Saldaña remains open to exploring more musical roles.
“This is something that is all-encompassing of all the art forms that I love,” Saldaña said. “If you insist,” she added coyly.
Emilia Pérez premieres in theaters on November 1 and on Netflix on November 13.
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