Zoe Saldaña Says Emilia Perez Hair-Ripping Scene Was Her Idea — and the Background Actress Had to ‘Fill Out a Form’

Zoe Saldaña’s hair-pulling moment in Emilia Pérez was all her idea.

In her Variety Actors on Actors interview with Kate Winslet, the actress, 46, recounted the dramatic gala scene in the Golden Globe-nominated musical thriller. While singing and dancing on tables throughout the ballroom, Saldaña (as Rita Mora Castro) approaches a blonde woman and rips out a piece of her hair extension.

“Well, I’m obsessed with her, I want to be like her,” Saldaña explains of her character’s motivations in the scene. “And now that she’s here, can I touch her? And I remember the background actress was like, ‘Of course you can touch me.’ And then you have the ADs and the producers like, ‘No, we might need her to fill out a form,’ and I’m like, ‘But she says I can touch her!'”

The Avatar actress said that the crew settled on Saldaña touching the background performer’s hair.

“We all sort of got goosebumps like, ‘Yeah let’s just do that,'” she recalled. “The actress was so complicit on everything.”

Directed by Jacques Audiard, Emilia Pérez stars Karla Sofía Gascón as the title charcter as well as Selena Gomez. The largely Spanish-language film was recognized with 10 Golden Globe nominations, including best supporting actress in a motion picture – musical or comedy for Saldaña. The movie also received nominations for best motion picture, best director, best screenplay, best original score and best original song.

In an exclusive interview on Monday, Dec. 9, Saldaña said that she spoke to several of her loved ones — including her husband of over 10 years Marco Perego, and mother Asalia Nazario — after learning of her nomination, which marks her first Golden Globe nod.

“It feels really overwhelmingly beautiful,” Saldaña shared. “I didn’t know how much I wanted it because I stopped thinking that it would ever happen for someone like me. I’m really having an out of body experience and my heart is full of gratitude. It feels good to be recognized for the hard work that you put into something that you believe so much in.”

The actress said she woke up her mom with the news but told her husband first. “My husband was awake. He was definitely awake, so I connected with him first and foremost,” she recalled.

The star continued, “My entire team is awake in L.A. and in New York and rooting for us, rooting for me and rooting for Emilia Pérez. I connected with them as well and I’m here with my team too. I was surrounded by just love and support.”