Selena Gomez and Zoe Saldaña reveal who inspired their Emilia Pérez performances

13 November 2024, 15:44

By Sam Prance

Selena Gomez (Jessi) and Zoe Saldaña (Rita) also speak about taking control of their careers, their favourite smells and more.

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Fresh off of awards buzz for Emilia Pérez, we caught up with Selena Gomez and Zoe Saldaña to break down the film, their favourite scenes of each other's and everything in between.

If you've seen Emilia Pérez you will already know why it's sparking so much conversation. The musical extravaganza is equal parts hilarious and moving and it's all tied together by career-defining performances by Karla Sofía Gascón, Selena Gomez and Zoe Saldaña.

The film follows Rita (Saldaña), a lawyer who is hired by drug cartel leader Emilia Pérez (Gascón) to stage her death, and transition to become her true self. In doing so, Emilia leaves her wife Jessi (Gomez) completely in the dark.

Speaking to Capital Buzz ahead of the London premiere of Emilia Pérez, Selena and Zoe had a lot to say about the movie.

Selena Gomez and Zoe Saldaña reveal who inspired their Emilia Perez performances

Recalling her favourite scene of Zoe's in the movie, Selena singled out Zoe's performance of the stirring song 'El Mal'. She said: 'Oh hands down is Zoe's performance in the red suit. Just her anger and her preciseness. What she was saying, everything hits you in the gut in the best way."

As for Zoe's favourite scene of Selena's in the film, she added: "My favourite moment is you singing 'Bienvenida'. It's just so amazing to see you capture the frustration that a woman or person may feel when they're unable to be who they truly are."

She added: "That explosion that you have in that bedroom, it's my favourite thing."

Selena Gomez in Emilia Pérez. Picture: Why Not Productions / Pathé / France 2 Cinema / Album

Elsewhere, Zoe revealed that artists like Fatboy Slim, Annie Lennox and Phil Collins inspired her musical numbers. That being said, Selena said she was focused just on what felt true to her character Jessi.

To see Selena and Zoe discuss which scents bring them comfort (if you watch the film, it will make sense) and when they felt like they took control in their careers, watch the video above.