Karla Sofía Gascón is installed in a cloud. She has breakfast with Cate Blanchet, she talks to George Lucas, she says hello to Pedro Almodóvar, she was with Bud Bunny the other day. Until last May they were unattainable, now everyone wants her. Even that celebrity who “never deigned” to say a word to him on a shoot. “I notice that I have many new friends,” she comments with the irony and experience of someone who has already “cried enough in life.” They call her, they demand her, she is decorated by the French Minister of Culture… It is her time. The closer she’s been to the stars. She can tell that she is enjoying it. And yet, she also remains glued to the earth, to a reality that transcends her condition as an actress and that leads her to a spectator, with a trans girlfriend, hugging her a few days ago “trembling” to thank “everything that was doing”.
The difference between then and now is that the 52-year-old Spanish actress has made history, being the first trans woman to win the award for best female performance at the latest edition of the Cannes festival (along with her co-stars , Adriana Paz, Zoe Saldana and Selena Gómez) for the film Emilia Perez, directed by Jacques Audiard. “If I can be of any use, it is to ensure that other people are respected. With just one person who doesn’t kick his son out of the house because he saw me and thinks we can be valid in this society, I’m happy,” says Gascón, before his voice breaks with emotion.
It seems inevitable then that the public attending the colloquium, held this Monday at the Summer Campus organized by the Film Academy in Valencia, will break into applause, as will happen on several occasions. You never know with actors and actresses, but Karla Sofía Gascón radiates naturalness and sincerity. She is fun and intense, light and deep. She also tells with humor how she took advantage of her electronics studies in San Fernando de Henares to build a laser sword and emulate her heroes from Star Wars, which explains the importance of being seen as a reference: “I see myself as having a very great responsibility, not only as a performer but as what I represent at this moment. Not chosen, but acquired with a lot of affection and a lot of love.”
The actress made a name for herself in Mexico with blockbusters like We the noble (2013), after participating in Spain in series such as The supermarket or The past is tomorrow or movies like Box 507, by Enrique Urbizu. Karla Sofía was Carlos Gascón. transitioned as a woman in 2018 and continued to achieve success in the North American country until the French director’s call to play the ruthless head of a Mexican drug cartel who only wants to protect her family and be the woman she always felt like has crossed borders. She resides in her hometown, Alcobendas, and has a wife and a daughter.
“I have been fighting this since I appeared in a theater in 2018 presenting my book and no one knew how it was going to turn out and it was a very special moment. Since that moment there has been a kind of struggle between people who adore and support you and people who hate you just for existing, not only from a certain type of press, but also from social networks. Freedom of expression is one thing and using it to massacre people is another and they haven’t succeeded with me, but with others they have. They haven’t achieved it with me, but with many people they achieve it and it is very dangerous, there are people who commit suicide or kill others because they believe that what is said is true. And it is not a political thing, but a human rights thing, no one has the right to tell us that we are worth less than others,” he highlighted in the third edition of the campus that focuses on inclusion and diversity and that develops eight selected audiovisual projects. Netflix collaborates in the Film Academy initiative and the Valencia City Council also provides financing. The colloquium took place at the Caixaforum in Valencia, directed by the journalist Lucía Márquez.
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“Now I have wonderful freedom not only when it comes to working, but when it comes to facing life,” says the actress. Looking enraptured at a star or an established director and adopting a gregarious, passive attitude does not suit her. Neither now nor before. “As they say in Mexico, you are not a golden coin so that everyone will like you. When you understand that you can start working well.” She has changed her opinion and now she is in favor of quotas so that society can get closer to equality.
Regarding the debate about characters representing minorities being played by people who belong to these minorities, he points out: “At first I didn’t like it and I ended up understanding that it is one of the few ways there are for all of us to integrate into society.” . As an actress I like to have access to any type of character and not be limited by my condition. When they tell me that trans characters have to be played by trans people, yes, but because of this factor of incorporation, not because there is no acting talent to make it otherwise.”
She would like to play a ninja turtle, “beat Tom Cruise” or an antagonist character in a James Bond-style action movie, because she prefers not to get “as soon as I get out of this character into another one that I have to get into again.” in the dark”. “I would have a blast, and if I say it it’s because it can happen,” she adds, empowered, touching the stars.
