Up until last week, "Emilia Pérez" looked like a narrow Oscar frontrunner, in part because of its political resonances. Sure, the character of Emilia - played by Karla Sofía Gascón - did not become a better person after transitioning (in fact,

Karla Sofía Gascón, the star of the French film "Emilia Pérez," has become the first openly transgender actor to be nominated for an Academy Award. Gascón was nominated in the Best Actress category for her role in the Spanish-language musical crime drama. The movie, directed by Jacques Audiard, is available on Netflix.

The “Emilia Pérez” star isn’t the first trans Oscar nominee. Anohni was up for best song, and Elliot Page was a contender before coming out publicly as trans.