Zoë Saldaña, Selena Gomez, Edgar Ramírez, Karla Sofía Gascón, and Adriana Paz visit the Variety TIFF Studio to discuss their film 'Emilia Pérez.'
Zoë Saldaña talks about her experience in 'Avatar' and her approach to her character in 'Emilia Pérez.' On 'Avatar,' she says it "was ahead of its time."
Zoë Saldaña talks about her experience in 'Avatar' and her approach to her character in 'Emilia Pérez.' On 'Avatar,' she says it "was ahead of its time."
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00:00If you would indulge me for a second,
00:01I was speaking with Julie Huntsinger
00:03at Telluride about your performance
00:05and how it was the best thing we've ever seen you do before.
00:10And we said, it also made us angry
00:13that for so long we've seen you in blue and green makeup,
00:17and you were capable of this the entire time.
00:19It's very mad at Hollywood, and we may never forgive them.
00:22But what she said famously was, it stops now, though.
00:26And it's such an amazing performance.
00:28Can you tell me what it's like to take on this role
00:30and finally get to show the fire that is everything
00:35that you bring to it?
00:38I mean, thank you.
00:39That kind of recognition.
00:42I know we spend so much time and so much effort proving
00:46that we don't really need it, but we do.
00:48Art is created by the artist with the purpose of sharing it
00:54and for it to be seen and to be felt and heard
00:58and acknowledged.
00:59Because if not, it's really detrimental for the artist,
01:02correct?
01:03But being blue and green had its benefits.
01:10The exposure it gave me, the connection
01:13it gave me with science fiction, which I do have a natural
01:15affinity for.
01:18Also, Avatar was a film that I was
01:22able to incorporate so many parts of my craft.
01:26What I think happened with Avatar
01:28is there was a lack of understanding.
01:31I still feel that in 2009, 2010, Avatar
01:34was way ahead of its time.
01:35Jim has always been ahead of his time.
01:38But now we're going to jump to Emilia.
01:42I was given an opportunity, I think
01:44that we all were, independently, to showcase everything
01:49that we consider art and forms of it.
01:57When Jack approached me, not only
01:59was I able to sing and to play Rita, which
02:05is the main important thing for me, to sing through Rita
02:08and to dance through Rita, but I also
02:10got to speak in my native tongue.
02:11And that was incredible.
02:16Being a part of a story that is so important,
02:19that is so provocative, so authentic, fresh, and daring,
02:24and it was, to me, the highlight of it all.
02:29So if I ever get these opportunities again,
02:33with the blessing of my family, if they don't need me,
02:36I'll jump on board.
02:37Because it was repurposeful and quite exhilarating.