Karla Sofía Gascón, the star of “Emilia Pérez” who could make Oscar history as the first transgender actress ever to be nominated, is proud of her achievement in the energetic musical.

"It's a very complicated character, comparable in scale to the great Hollywood characters — a character that Marlon Brando would play, or Meryl Streep, or Javier Bardem would play," Gascón said through an interpreter during an interview at the Variety Studio, sponsored by J.Crew and SharkNinja, at the Toronto International Film Festival. "It was a huge challenge to put myself in the shoes of such a layered, complex character. I had to change my voice, my accent. I had to sing. I'm proud of what I see when I look at myself on screen. In one word that sums it all up — it's a gift that life has given me."

Gascón, along with her "Emilia Pérez" castmates — Selena Gomez, Zoe Saldaña, Édgar Ramírez and Adriana Paz — praised director Jacques Audiard's vision for the critically acclaimed musical. In addition to playing the title character, Gascón portrays the drug lord baron who changes Emilia from a creature, a process that reminded her of her own experiences.

Saldaña, known for her roles in four of the highest-grossing films of all time, believes “Emilia Pérez” gave her the opportunity to do things that no other role asked of her.