Zoe Saldaña feels the love!
The actress, 46, told PEOPLE in an exclusive interview on Monday, Dec. 9, that she spoke with several of her loved ones — including her husband of more than 10 years, Marco Perego, and her mother, Asalia Nazario — after winning her first Golden Globe nomination for the role of Rita in the musical thriller Emilia Perez.
“It feels really amazing,” Saldaña says of the honor. “I didn’t know how much I wanted it because I stopped thinking it would ever happen to someone like me. I’m really having an out-of-body experience and my heart is full of gratitude. It feels good to be recognized for the hard work you’ve put into something you believe in so much. ”
(L-R) Karla Sofia Gascon, Zoe Saldana, Selena Gomez attend the screening of ‘Emilia Perez’ at the opening night of the American French Film Festival in LA on October 29, 2024.
Aude Guerrucci/AFP/Getty
Award nominations were announced this morning and we saw Jacques Audiard’s mostly Spanish-language film lead the film categories with 10 nominations, including Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy for Saldaña. The film also received nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Original Score and Best Original Song. Karla Sofía Gascón and Selena Gomez also received nominations for actresses, with Gomez in the same category as Saldaña.
The Avatar The alum, who is currently in Paris, says she immediately contacted her family after receiving the good news. “I woke up my mom,” she says with a laugh. “My husband was awake. He was definitely awake, so I connected with him first.”
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She continues: “My whole team is up in LA and New York rooting for us, rooting for me and rooting for Emilia Perez. I connected with them and I am here with my team. I was surrounded only by love and support.”
Saldaña and Perego were first romantically linked in May 2023 and married in an intimate ceremony a few months later. They have three sons together: twins Cy Aridio and Bowie Ezio, 10, and Zen Anton Hilario, 7.
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Zoë Saldaña and Marco Perego attend the photo call for “An Invitation To Dream” during Milan Design Week 2024 on April 15, 2024 in Milan.
Daniele Venturelli/Getty Images
The actress also called her fellow nominees, saying: “I left a message for Selena [Gomez]I left a message for Karl [Sofía Gascón] immediately. I’m so proud of us. I am so proud of them. They deserve all the praise. They’re so incredibly amazing in this movie and such amazing people.”
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Ultimately, Saldaña says what’s “most special” about her award is “representing someone that a lot of people can see themselves in.”
I just know that this is something really special, she continues. “That a girl who looks like me from Queens, New York can also win and is destined to reach only higher mountain peaks. Anyone can do it, anyone.”
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Emilia Perez — streaming on Netflix — follows high-powered lawyer Rita (Saldaña) as she helps a Mexican cartel leader (Gascón) fake his death and turn into a woman.
Saldaña told PEOPLE in an exclusive interview at the 2024 New York Film Festival in September that she and her co-stars formed a strong bond during production.
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“It’s wonderful,” she said of her cast. “To this day, there is so much love, so much respect. We root for each other. We are happy for each other. We fix each other’s makeup and wardrobe.”
Saldaña continued, “You know, every time we’ve been on the red carpet, we’ve been so excited to be a part of this project that we’re going to be working with [director] Jacques Audiard that we were kind of childish when we were recording Emilia.”
The 82nd Golden Globe Awards will air live on Sunday, January 5th at 8:00 PM ET on CBS and with streaming on Paramount+.
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Source: HIS Education