Honoree Zoe Saldaña posing on the red carpet prior to the event. (Wesley Haver / Daily Nexus)
Actress Zoe Saldaña received the American Riviera Award at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival for one of her most ambitious performances yet — “Emilia Pérez.”
The American Riviera Award is given for “outstanding achievement in American film.” In “Emilia Pérez,” Saldaña plays a Mexican lawyer named Rita who is enlisted by a brutal cartel boss to help her transition to a woman. The film is about redemption and trying to escape one’s past.
On a rainy Feb. 12 evening, the 46-year-old actress arrived at the Arlington Theatre red carpet prior to the ceremony, which included a career retrospective discussion and award presentation. Saldaña is best known for her roles in the “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “Avatar” franchises, and “Emilia Pérez” is only her second musical performance, along with her first Academy Award nomination.
The Daily Nexus had the opportunity to speak with Saldaña on the Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) red carpet. When asked how she prepares differently for a musical role, she said she approaches them “kind of the same but also very differently.”
“Diving into the backstory of your character, that will dictate the amount of time that you invest in. Approaching a character has to be an all immersive experience, where it’s not just the idea of what you’re going to do that day,” Saldaña said. “That way this person’s life becomes so vivid that you are able to sort of take yourself off and put her on. And that requires time and a lot of, a lot of space.”
While the film has recently become mired in controversy surrounding the film’s lead actress and director, Saldaña has been nominated for a slew of awards during this year’s award season. Her wins include the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress in a motion picture, as well as at the Critics’ Choice Awards, with the American Riviera Award at this year’s SBIFF marking another victory.
Inside the theatre, SBIFF Executive Director Roger Durling kicked off the evening by delivering opening remarks and introducing Saldaña onto the Arlington stage.
Scott Feinberg, executive editor of awards for The Hollywood Reporter, served as moderator for the discussion portion of the evening. He began by asking Saldaña about her 25-year career in film, starting from her childhood roots. Saldaña discussed the passing of her father when she was 9 years old, which had a large impact on her life. Her mother signed her up for ballet to help her process the grief.
“Ballet became this cave, this experience for me that was all immersive. And I did it every single day, sometimes five, six hours a day,” Saldaña said.
They discussed her previous films and how they helped her role in “Emilia Pérez,” including James Cameron’s “Avatar” and Steven Spielberg’s “The Terminal.” She spoke about how those films taught her lessons that she took with her into her next projects.
“I think timing also is very important. Had I had immediately come to my life when I was unprepared for it, I don’t think that I would have been able to pour so much of myself into Rita. I needed to have more experience. I needed to feel safe, finally, in my own skin and in my own vulnerability. I think that that’s something that I wrestled my whole life, and I always felt like I held back from all the characters that I’ve played,” Saldaña said.
Saldaña discussing her career with moderator Scott Feinberg. (Wesley Haver / Daily Nexus)
After jokingly characterizing Spielberg as “very up and coming,” she explained that the storied director taught her how to handle starring in cinematic mega-hits — something that she would become accustomed to with films like “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “Avengers: Endgame.”
“He completely just changed my whole perspective on how to be big, how to do something of that kind of category and manage it with kindness and mindfulness and just celebrate the core reason why we make films. It’s just to connect with people,” Saldaña said.
Saldaña expressed that she was worried she was becoming typecast due to her prevalence in science fiction films.
“I’ve done ‘Star Trek’ and ‘Avatar,’ and I was being offered all these films that were just only in the science fiction genre, and I was afraid. I was afraid of being typecast. But there’s this thing that it doesn’t matter where the story lives, if it’s a beautiful, compelling story and the filmmaker feels super duper legit,” Saldaña said.
Saldaña, who was there with her three children, was given the award by actor Rob Lowe.
“She’s a role model, she’s a passionate advocate for greater representation in Hollywood. She has opened doors and she has shattered ceilings and she has inspired so many with her talent, her resilience, her heart. And she’s a great mom,” Lowe said.
Saldaña then took to the podium to accept the American Riviera Award.
“What an incredible honor it is to be among you all tonight celebrating our work. The Santa Barbara International Film Festival champions artists who are moving the needle and impacting culture, and I’m humbled to be included,” Saldaña said.
A version of this article appeared in the Feb. 20 print edition of the Daily Nexus.
