Eugenio Derbez commented on singer Selena Gomez’s lack of Spanish fluency in her new movie. Selena later apologized for her mistake.
In the podcast “Hablando de Cine” by host Gaby Meza, Eugenio Derbez commented on Selena Gomez’s role in the newly released film “Emilia Pérez”.
The 63-year-old actor said he could not defend Selena’s performance or the fact that her character did not speak Spanish fluently.
Mexican-born actor Eugenio Derbez.
Gaby Meza – MC of the show also agreed with this opinion. Mr. Meza commented: “Gomez is a talented actress but Spanish is definitely not her first language. That’s why I feel Gomez doesn’t know what she’s saying. This is what prevents her from bringing any nuance to her performance.”
Derbez agrees. He believes that Selena’s success with “Emilia Pérez” is overstated. The veteran actor insists that the film was well received by audiences because the majority of viewers were non-Spanish speakers.
Not stopping there, the star of “CODA” also criticized the film’s French director – Jacques Audiard, for making a film in Spanish but not speaking a word of the language.
Selena Gomez as Jessi in the movie “Emilia Pérez”.
“It’s strange, the director doesn’t speak English or Spanish, but the film is made in these two languages. Meanwhile, ‘Emilia Pérez’ is set in Mexico. It’s like me wanting to make a film in Russian without knowing the culture or the language,” Derbez added.
After the show aired, Selena Gomez left a comment: “I understand what you two are talking about. I’m so sorry. I tried my best to learn Spanish during the time I was given. Even though it was a shortcoming, it doesn’t diminish the dedication and effort I put into this movie.”
The incident has sparked much controversy on social media forums. Many viewers agree with Derbez’s opinion.
They say that for many years, Selena has always shown that she is Latina but has made no effort to return to her roots, at least to learn Spanish fluently.
The four female leads in the film project “Emilia Pérez” were all honored at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.
Others believe that Selena came to America when she was young and is familiar with American culture. It is admirable that she returns to her roots and heritage by participating in projects that speak her native language and Mexican culture.
Eugenio Derbez soon responded to Selena’s comment.
The actor quickly “turned the car” on his previous statements: “I am truly sorry for my careless comments. They were inexcusable words. As Latin Americans, we should always support each other. I was wrong, and I admire Selena’s career and her kindness so much.
The film “Emilia Pérez” deserves to be honored, not diminished by my thoughtless statements. I have learned an important lesson from this.”
Teaser of “Emilia Pérez”
In November, Selena Gomez revealed that she spent six months studying Spanish for a new film project. The singer said she lost her ability to speak her native language after moving to California to pursue an entertainment career at the age of seven.
Selena said: “I lost my native language when I moved to the United States when I was young. This is the case for many Mexican Americans like me.
I always wish I knew more about Mexican culture. That’s why I always try to honor my original culture as much as possible. From releasing an album in Spanish to wanting to pursue this film. And I don’t think this will be the last thing I do in Spanish.”
“Emilia Pérez” tells the story of a Mexican drug lord named Manitas (Sofia Gascón) who is helped by a lawyer to escape trouble from the underworld after changing her gender and name to Emilia Perez.
As soon as it was released at the film festivals, the film achieved many successes and was highly appreciated by experts. At the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, “Emilia Pérez” won the Jury Prize, and all 4 actresses won the “Best Actress” award.
