Zoe Saldaña's captivating performance as Rita Mora Castro in the film Rita, has earned her critical acclaim, including Best Actress honors at the Cannes Film Festival. The article delves into Saldaña's connection to the character, her initial hesitation, and the powerful message of authenticity and self-discovery that the film conveys.
Emilia Pérez’s Rita Mora Castro, a lawyer who helps a drug kingpin fake his own death in order to transition to a woman and live her most authentic life, Saldaña sings and dances her way through a determined and deeply human performance—one that led her to be named Best Actress alongside her costars Selena Gomez, Karla Sofía Gascón, and Adriana Paz at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
And yet Saldaña, who is of Dominican and Puerto Rican descent, initially wasn’t the woman director Jacques Audiard had in mind for the role. “I felt like I was not right for the part, but there was something pulling me to the project,” she says. Here, the 46-year-old Golden Globe nominee discusses how she ultimately connected with Rita, her unforgettable turn in the cult favoriteJacques Audiard said he had a different idea in his head for your character until he met you and you changed everything. It’s a big compliment, and I’m very grateful. Rita, on paper, was supposed to be of Mexican origin, but I just felt that I could play her because I understood that desperation to be something, to be seen, to be heard, and to be appreciated for your passion. This character was already very talented, street-smart, and experienced, but also feeling very empty. She was looking for something.I was 11 years old. I didn't really get on pointe until I was 14, and my pointe work was quite bad. It takes a lot of courage to admit when you don't have the feet. I had the extensions, I had the body, I had the length, but I didn't have the feet. It didn't matter how hard I worked at it. I did it for 10 years vigorously, sometimes six hours a day. Ballet became my therapy, my medicine, my confidant, my solace during a time when I was going through a lot. My father passed away when I was 9, and my mom went through a really difficult time. There were days when she couldn't get out of bed because she was so sad. When you're 9, you don't really understand that, but she knew that she needed to keep us bus
ACTRESS ENTERTAINMENT ZOE SALDANA RITA MORA CASTRO FILM FESTIVAL CANNES TRANSFORMATION
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Zoe Saldaña Styles a Black-and-White Color Scheme Three Ways for WinterZoe Saldaña on getting into shape for Special Ops: Lioness
Read more »
Zoe Saldaña Hits the Red Carpet in Rare Appearance With 3 SonsThe 'Avatar' actress recently made a red carpet appearance along with her kids and husband.
Read more »
We Found Zoe Saldaña's Crystal Hoop Earrings — Get the LookThe 'Avatar' actress recently stepped out in New York City wearing these crystal hoop earrings that are perfect for the holidays.
Read more »
Selena Gomez Tearfully Reacts to 2025 Golden Globe Nods, Cheers on Ariana Grande & Zoe SaldanaSelena Gomez reacted with tears to Ariana Grande and Zoe Saldana's 2025 Golden Globe nominations, as well as her own. Here's what she said.
Read more »
Selena Gomez and Zoe Saldaña’s reactions to their Golden Globe nominations will make you smileZoe Saldaña and Selena Gomez had the most heartwarming reactions to news of their Golden Globe nominations.
Read more »
Zoe Saldaña Feels Actors Who Use CGI for Roles Are Often Overlooked for Awards'Old habits die hard, and when you have old establishments, it’s really hard to bring forward change,' the 'Avatar' actress says.
Read more »