Selena Gomez has struck back at Eugenio Derbez following his harsh criticism of her portrayal in "Emilia Pérez." The esteemed actor-producer, known for his roles in "The Radical," made a guest appearance on an upcoming episode of the "Hablando de Cine" podcast, where he voiced his disapproval of Gomez's Spanish-speaking abilities in the film, noting her lack of fluency in the language. Gomez stars as Jessi del Monte in director Jacques Audiard's musical crime thriller.
"Selena is indefensible," Derbez declared about her performance. "I watched the movie with others, and whenever a scene featuring her came on, we exchanged glances, saying, 'Wow, what is this?'" Host Gaby Meza acknowledged that while Gomez is a "very talented actress," a "very good singer," and has received an Emmy nomination for her role in "Only Murders in the Building," "Spanish is neither her primary nor secondary language, nor even her fifth. Therefore, I believe she doesn't understand what she's saying, and if she doesn't know what she's saying, she can't convey nuance in her acting. That's why her performance is not only unconvincing but also uncomfortable."
Derbez fully concurred with Meza's viewpoint, adding, "I'm glad you're saying that because I thought, 'How come no one else is talking about it?'" The "CODA" star expressed his bewilderment over why Gomez's performance in "Emilia Pérez" hadn't been questioned by others, despite her receiving awards for her role. (Gomez was honored with the Cannes Film Festival's best actress prize alongside her co-stars Karla Sofía Gascón, Adriana Paz, and Zoe Saldaña, and they are now at the center of significant Oscar buzz.)
However, Derbez speculated that it might be because the audience doesn't realize the acting is lacking due to their reliance on subtitles rather than understanding the spoken language. "I think it's because they don't speak Spanish," he said. "If you watch a Russian or German film subtitled in Spanish and see someone speaking in the original language, you might think, 'Oh, look. OK. How interesting.'"
The "Overboard" actor further revealed that during a post-screening Q&A with the film's director, he realized that Audiard, who is French, doesn't speak Spanish or English. This puzzled him, considering the actors in "Emilia Pérez" speak Spanish and English. "I feel like he did a very interesting experiment," Derbez commented. "I liked the film, apart from Selena's scenes that stand out because they're off-putting. But I thought, 'How strange, because if the director doesn't speak English or Spanish, and the movie is in Spanish and English, set in Mexico, and he doesn't understand the culture,' it's like me trying to make a film in Russian without knowing the culture or speaking Russian, while speaking in French."
After a clip of the interview went viral on TikTok, catching Gomez's attention, she commented on the video, "I understand your perspective... I'm sorry, but I did the best I could with the time I was given. That doesn't detract from the hard work and heart I put into this movie." She later added, "Also, never accuse my fans of being the problem when they stand up for me, as you claim to be doing."
"Emilia Pérez" follows cartel leader Emilia (Gascón), who enlists Rita (Saldaña), an underappreciated lawyer, to help fake her death, allowing her to transition and live authentically as her true self.
