‘A Fantastic Woman’ could lead to trans history at Oscars
A transgender Chilean actress has turned in one of the most buzzed-about performances of the year and some are hoping she could be the first trans actor to land an Oscar nomination.
Daniela Vega, 28, stars in Sebastian Lelio’s “A Fantastic Woman.’’ She plays Marina, a transgender woman whose partner (Francisco Reyes) dies, after which Marina is subjected to harsh treatment by the family of her deceased lover and by police investing the death.
Chile has selected the film as its Academy Awards submission this year. But the bigger spotlight may be on whether Vega’s breakout performance — one of stirring strength and compassion — could make Oscar history.
Reviewing the movie at its Berlin Film Festival premiere, Variety called her performance “a multi-layered, emotionally polymorphous feat of acting,’’ that deserves “so much more than political praise.’’
While several transgender musicians have been Oscar-nominated, no trans performer has ever earned an acting nod.
“It’s too early to talk about that, to think about it. I have lots of festivals to attend, lots of dresses to wear,’’ Vega said with a grin in an interview. “The Oscars are a little bit beyond the timeline I’m thinking about right now. We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.’’
Vega and “A Fantastic Woman’’ will not have an easy road to the Oscars. Performances in foreignlanguage films rarely break into the acting categories, and this year, like most, the field of potential contenders boasts plenty of heavyweight, bigger-name performers like Meryl Streep (“The Post’’) and Jessica Chastain (“Molly’s Game’’).
But Vega has two things going for her: the depth of her performance and the possibility of a long-awaited Oscar landmark. Such a result could have great meaning for a trans community that President Donald Trump recently banned from entering the military.
“If we broaden our gaze, it will be more interesting, more beautiful. If we can make more diverse colours, people, stories, it will be interesting,’’ said Vega. “Uniforms are for the military and the police, not for our thinking.’’