‘Proud child of immigrant parents’: Zoe Saldana cries while accepting Best Supporting Actress award at Oscars 2025

Zoe Saldana Pic/AFP

Hollywood star Zoe Saldana, who rose to fame with films like Avatar and Guardians of the Galaxy, broke down on stage while accepting the Best Supporting Actress award at Oscars 2025 Zoe won hearts with her intriguing performance in Emilia Perez. For the night, she chose a deep burgundy strapless-tiered look by Saint Laurent, however, she is making headlines for her impactful speech which took a dig at US President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown.

Zoe Saldana's speech at Oscars 2025

An emotional Zoe said in her speech, "My grandmother came to this country in 1961 -- I am a proud child of immigrant parents," she said. "With dreams and dignity and hard-working hands, and I am the first American of Dominican origin to accept an Academy Award, and I know I will not be the last. I hope. The fact that I'm getting an award for a role where I got to sing and speak in Spanish -- my grandmother, if she were here, she would be so delighted, this is for my grandmother."

About Trump's crackdown on illegal immigrants

Trump during his presidential campaign in 2024, had promised that he would declare a national emergency to carry out mass deportations of migrants living in the US without legal permission and after taking office on January 20, he signed executive orders declaring a "national emergency" at the southern border with Mexico.

Zoe thanks the cast and crew of Emilia Perez

Zoe also said in her speech, "Thank you to the Academy, for recognizing the quiet heroism and the power in a woman like Rita and talking about powerful women. Jacques, you are a beloved character in my life. Thank you for taking the interest, thank you for being so curious about these women to tell this story. To my cast and my crew of 'Emilia Perez,' I'm sharing this award with you."

Emilia Perez tells the story of four women in Mexico, each on a journey to find happiness. The central character, Emilia, a feared cartel leader played by Karla Sofia Gascon, enlists the help of Rita (Zoe Saldana), an underappreciated lawyer, to fake her death. This allows Emilia to live authentically as her true self and undergo gender reassignment surgery.