Zoe Saldaña was abruptly cut off as she let loose an expletive-filled acceptance speech at the 2025 BAFTA Awards.
The 46-year-old American actress won Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her portrayal of Rita Mora Castro in the musical Emilia Pérez.
Saldaña managed to outshine fellow nominees Jamie Lee Curtis, Selena Gomez, Ariana Grande, Felicity Jones, and Isabella Rossellini.
Visibly stunned upon taking the stage, her emotions surged as she offered thanks, peppering her address with profanities.
She acknowledged: “I was told not to cry by my children, so I’ll try. This is so validating and a true honour, because the very few times that I went for a part with a British accent or dialect coach, I was like, ‘This is not going to happen to you.’ Even though I have a lot of British friends, I find myself repeating all their phrases, and I know that I’m a pain in the a***.”
She continued to express her gratitude, saying, “Bafta thank you, this was a creative challenge of a lifetime. How do you begin to even approach a film that not just defies categorisation, and you start by taking the leap with Jacques Audiard. I want to thank my wonderful cast…
“Films are supposed to change hearts and challenge minds and I hope I did something like this. voices need to be heard, just not my English accent.”
Zoe emotionally shared: “I’m dedicating all of these awards and the film Emilia Pérez to my nephew, Eli. He is the reason – they are the reason – I signed up to do this film in the first place,” during her award acceptance.
She highlighted, “So as the proud aunt of a trans life, I will always stand with my community of trans people.”
As she grew tearful thanking her loved ones, Zoe was rushed by a timer, exclaiming: “Oh my god I’m getting a countdown. F*** f*** f***! ” While the live coverage omitted Zoe’s explicit reaction, viewers simply saw her exiting the stage award in hand.
Earlier, Emilia Pérez received the Best Film Not in the English Language accolade.
Director Jacques Audiard accepted, expressing gratitude towards his team: “Above all, I would like to thank all the wonderful artists who brought this film to life and who are here with us tonight… My dear Zoe, my dear Selena, Giorgini, Paul, Juliet, Camille, Clement, Julia and your team, but also you, my dear Karla Sofia, that I kiss. I’m deeply proud of what we achieved together. Long live Emilia Pérez! “.
The film has been embroiled in several controversies since its release last year. Initially, it faced criticism from Mexican performers who accused the filmmakers of not employing Mexican talent for the roles.
Then, lead actress Karla Sofia found herself at the centre of a storm when old tweets resurfaced, causing outrage. She has since withdrawn from the awards circuit, acknowledging that her scandal could eclipse the film’s success.
Despite this, she remains an Oscar nominee next month, although she is not anticipated to be present at the ceremony.