Producer
Writer
Bowie Perego Saldana
Zen Perego Saldana
Aridio Saldaña
Mariel Saldana (sibling)
Nipo Saldaña (half sibling)
Zoë Yadira Saldaña-Perego (née Saldaña Nazario; born June 19, 1978) is an American actress. Known primarily for her work in science fiction film franchises, she has starred in four of the seven highest-grossing films of all time, including the top three (Avatar, Avatar: The Way of Water, and Avengers: Endgame). Films she has appeared in have grossed more than $15 billion worldwide and, as of 2024, she is the second highest-grossing lead actress and the highest-grossing actress overall.[1][2] Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2023.[3]
A trained dancer, Saldaña began her on-screen acting career in 1999 with a guest role in Law & Order. Her first film role was in Center Stage (2000) in which she played a ballet dancer. She received early recognition for her work opposite Britney Spears in the road film Crossroads (2002). Beginning in 2009, Saldaña achieved a career breakthrough with her roles as Nyota Uhura in the Star Trek reboot film series and Neytiri in James Cameron's Avatar film series. She portrayed Gamora in five films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, from Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023).[4]
In addition to franchise work, Saldaña has starred in the science fiction film The Adam Project and the romantic drama miniseries From Scratch, both for Netflix in 2022. In 2023, she began playing the lead role of a CIA officer in the Paramount+ spy series Lioness. In 2024, Saldaña starred in the musical crime film Emilia Pérez, for which she received several accolades, including the Academy Award, BAFTA Award and Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Early life[]
Career[]
Personal life[]
Filmography[]
Movies[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | ||||
| 2022 | Avatar: The Way of Water | Neytiri | [5] | |
| Amsterdam | Irma St. Clair | [6] | ||
| The Adam Project | Laura | [7] | ||
| 2023 | Good Burger 2 | Herself | Cameo appearance | [8] |
| The Absence of Eden | Esmee • Carmen | [9] | ||
| Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 | Gamora | [10] | ||
| 2024 | Dovecote | Zoe | Short | |
| Emilia Pérez | Rita | [11] | ||
| 2025 | Elio | Aunt Olga (voice) | Post-production | [12] |
| Avatar: Fire and Ash | Neytiri | |||
| 2029 | Avatar 4 | [13] | ||
| 2031 | Avatar 5 | In production | ||
| TBA | Untitled Star Trek: Beyond Sequel | Lieutenant Uhura (rumored) | Pre-production |
TV Series[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Maya and the Three | Maya (voice) | 9 episodes | [14] |
| 2022 | The Late Late Show with James Corden | Carol | Episode: "Margot Robbie/Jean Smart" | |
| From Scratch | Amy Wheeler | Miniseries 8 episodes also executive producer |
[15] | |
| 2023-2024 | Lioness | Joe | 16 episodes lead role also executive producer |
[16] |
Theme park attractions[]
| Year | Title | Role | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind | Gamora | Epcot |
Accolades[]
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Notes | References |
|---|
Gallery[]
Videos[]
|
Videos > |
Quotes[]
”When I go to the D.R., the press in Santo Domingo always asks, "¿Qué te consideras, dominicana o americana?" ("What do you consider yourself, Dominican or American?") I don't understand it, and it's the same people asking the same question. So I say, time and time again, "Yo soy una mujer negra." ("I am a black woman.") [They go] "Oh, no, tú eres trigueñita." ("Oh no, you are 'dark skinned'") I'm like, "No! Let's get it straight, yo soy una mujer negra." ("I am a black woman.")”
”I am actually! I'm very proud to say I am a geek. But I'm kind of a cool geek. I grew up in a very sci-fi home so I've seen a lot of sci-fi movies, from Dune to Alien, 2001: A Space Odyssey, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, *batteries not included... All these films I go crazy for. But never "Star Trek".”
”I tend to be very picky, so I look for the perfect man! So if Spock and Kirk can mix, they would become my perfect man. That's the kind of guy I'd go for. I don't only go for muscles, I don't only go for brains. You just need to have a little bit of a bad boy and a geek and then you've got the perfect guy.”
”[on auditioning for Avatar] I was still living in New York at the time, and I heard that James Cameron was getting ready to shoot a movie. At first, I thought it was going to be that Japanese franchise that he owns; I read for that and it disappeared. Then, like a month later, they want to put me back on tape... the script excerpts used for auditions were about this girl from a tribe in the jungle and I was like, this is weird. But I put myself on tape again and, a month later, around July 2006, they called me and told me that in a week, I was going to L.A. to meet James Cameron. I remember being very nervous, but he was just such a polite and approachable person. It felt like a meeting where we were getting to know each other, as opposed to an audition, where I have to put my act on.”
”[on the current landscape of quality roles for actresses] They're out there - people just aren't investing in them. We can sit here forever discussing it, because it has a chicken vs. the egg quality. Bottom line, producers are business people. Hollywood is a moneymaking machine. At the end of the day, they have to produce numbers that will help them keep their jobs and companies alive. But we as consumers have a lot more power than we think. Women need to demand better roles and get audiences to see their films. Because if a film doesn't make $150 million, producers and studios aren't going to bankroll a similar film next time. If there were more filmmakers that were female, trust me, it would be all about women.”
”[on James Cameron creating strong female characters] I don't know if its something that he's been consciously aware of, to be honest. What do know is that he's been impacted by interesting women all his life, because you can tell he's in tune with his feminine side. I've learned this about men who write good roles for women - there's a very beautiful sentimentality to them. Their exteriors are sugarcoated with this manly presence, but deep on the inside, there's also this [fragility]. During the shortness of my career, I've managed to work with Steven Spielberg, J.J. Abrams, and now Jim - all directors who are known for having strong female protagonists. They don't feel diminished by it as men; they can tap into the complexities of how woman really are.”
”... I will say is that my Avatar (2009) character, Neytiri, has been the most challenging of my entire career - physically, mentally and spiritually. It's the first time I played a non-human, I had to learn a different language, and it was hard to part with her at the end. No matter how intense other characters have been, I've only been in their skins for at most four months - never a year and a half.”
”I love sex. I love skin. I don't believe the body is something to hide. I think in American society, we're messing up our kids by taking away the education on, and awareness of, our sexuality and replacing it with violence, guns and video games - and we're breeding little criminals.”
”[on her dislike of making Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)] I didn't like the experience of working on Pirates and I feel that it is my job to be completely honest. To me, that's what a Hollywood movie felt like. If that's what I have to witness, and have to go through, to do a Hollywood movie, I'd rather do something else. It was just too massive. You really felt the immensity of it. Just not my taste.”
”[on expanding her career to become a film director] It is more satisfying. You are more of a participant in the conception. I like having control. I think I have the capability. I am a storyteller and an artist and I love what I do. So I want to be part of it more and not just show up and say my lines.”
”When you are shooting a film like Blood Ties, when the budget is not as big and you are shooting in a city like New York, which is a very expensive city, all the budget goes into the movie and you just make compromises. You are happy to do so because you are collaborating with amazing people. It is a good day at the office. The office might be smaller but it is good.”
”It doesn't matter how much backlash I will get for it. I will honor and respect my black community because that's who I am.”
”Behind the scenes, the actors are the ones with the least power. You're told what to do, what to wear, where to stand. Your creative inputs are ignored.”
Trivia[]
- Had done an intense nonstop six-month preparation for Avatar including martial arts, archery and horseback riding.
- To prepare for her role as Nyota Uhura in Star Trek, she met with Nichelle Nichols who played the same character on the original series. She had not seen the original series before she was cast in J.J. Abrams' remake.
- Likes to play strong female characters. And said in an interview with a Danish film-site that she was really looking forward to evolving her character Nyota Uhura into a stronger, kick-ass lady in future Star Trek sequels.
- Revealed on Jimmy Kimmel Live! that she is often mistaken for Thandiwe Newton. Even her own mother once mistook the two of them.
- She had a smaller role in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, and was set to star in the sequels, but never did. When filming the final scene of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, the cast were told an "old friend" would return and the actors were led to believe that Saldana would be the one coming back. However, it was Geoffrey Rush. The actors were misinformed in order to get real authenticity in their faces. Zoe never did reprise her role.
- Has three sons with her husband Marco Perego: twins Cy Aridio Perego-Saldana and Bowie Ezio Perego-Saldana (b. 11/27/14 in Los Angeles). They are named after artist Cy Twombly and singer David Bowie; and Zen Perego-Saldana (b. 12/12/16).
- Her father was Dominican and her mother is Puerto Rican.
- In June 2013, she married her boyfriend of three months Marco Perego. They married in a secret wedding ceremony in London, and he decided to take her surname upon marriage.
- Returned to work seven months after giving birth to her twins Cy and Bowie to begin filming Star Trek Beyond. Also returned to work two months after giving birth to her son Zen to begin filming Avengers: Infinity War.
- While filming The Words, she began a relationship with co-star Bradley Cooper, which ended in January 2013. She also starred with him in Guardians of the Galaxy, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.
- In Steven Spielberg's The Terminal, her character, Dolores Torres, is revealed to be a huge fan of Star Trek. Saldana went onto be cast as Nyota Uhura in Star Trek produced and directed by J.J. Abrams.
- Sang with Diego Luna on the song "No Matter Where You Are" for the soundtrack of The Book of Life.
- She began her dance training at ECOS Espacio de Danza Academy, but describes ballet as her passion. She gave up ballet because she did not "have the feet", and had too much pride and ambition to just be in the corps de ballet.
- Is a supporter of FINCA International, a non-profit microfinance organization.
- Her favorite teen movie growing up was Some Kind of Wonderful.
- Admires Whoopi Goldberg and Angelina Jolie.
- Was eight months pregnant with her son Zen when she completed filming I Kill Giants.
- In 2021, Zoe publicly reclaimed the original and correct spelling of her second name - "Saldaña". She explained that before appearing in her first movie Center Stage, her manager had advised to change her second name. Her miniseries Maya and the Three marks the first time Zoe's name is credited as "Zoe Saldaña".
- Saldana and her Star Trek co-star Rachel Nichols both went onto work with Stephen Lang. Saldana, with Lang in Avatar (2009); Nichols, with Lang in Conan the Barbarian.
- She was engaged to actor Keith Britton from June 2010 until they ended their relationship in November 2011 after eleven years. Saldana also co-founded the website My Fashion Database with Britton, and they are business partners in the website.
- In September 2020, Saldana, along with Elizabeth Banks, Rory O'Malley, Amy Schumer and Amber Heard, used her social media presence to participate in the VoteRiders #IDCheck Challenge to help spread the word about voter ID requirements for the 2020 U.S. Presidential election.
- She was included in FHM magazine's list of '100 Sexiest Women in the World' in 2010 (#24) and 2011 (#91); Maxim magazine's Hot 100 Women in 2008 (#42), 2009 (#29), 2010 (#3), 2011 (#37), 2012 (#45), 2013 (#38), 2014 (#29), 2016 (#100), 2019 (#100) and 2023 (#100); and People magazine's annual 100 Most Beautiful People in the World, Beauty at Every Age section, for age 28 (2007).
- Says she's a sci-fi geek who just happens to dress nice.
- She is the first (and to date, the only) actress in history to star in four films that made more than two billion dollars at the box office: Avatar, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame and Avatar: The Way of Water.
- She has appeared in three films that have been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture: Avatar, Avatar: The Way of Water and Emilia Pérez.
- She endorsed the candidacy of Vice President Kamala Harris for her presidential campaign. (2024)
- Speaks English and Spanish fluently.
- She also has dyslexia.
- In July 2016, during an interview with Net-a-Porter's The Edit magazine, she revealed that she has Hashimoto's thyroiditis, an autoimmune disease, along with his mother and sisters. To combat this disease, Saldana said she and her husband adhere to a glutton-free and dairy-free diet.
- She was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6920 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on May 3, 2018. James Cameron and longtime friend Mila Kunis were guest speakers at the ceremony.
- In 2017, she founded BESA, a digital media platform designed to combat the lack of diversity in mainstream media, with an interest on providing and promoting positive stories within the Latino community. She also serves as chief executive officer and editor-in-chief of the platform.
- Was on the Time 100, a list of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine. (2023)
- Currently resides in New York City and Los Angeles, California.
- Her films have grossed more than $15 million worldwide.
External links[]
References[]
- ↑ Highest-Grossing Actresses of All Time.
- ↑ Eclarinal, Aeron Mer (January 22, 2023). Zoe Saldana Sets Historic Box Office Milestone That No Actor Has Ever Achieved.
- ↑ "Time 100". Time. April 13, 2023. Archived from the original on April 13, 2023. Retrieved April 13, 2023.
- ↑ Shattuck, Kathryn. "Zoe Saldaña, Sci-fi Queen, on the 'Guardians' Sequel", May 4, 2017.
- ↑ Mitchell, Mea (2018-06-13). Zoe Saldana has already finished shooting Avatar 2 & 3 (in en-GB).
- ↑ N'Duka, Amanda (2021-01-13). Rami Malek & Zoe Saldana Join David O. Russell New Regency Film (in en-US).
- ↑ Kroll, Justin (2020-11-17). Jennifer Garner And Zoe Saldana Join Ryan Reynolds in The Adam Project For Netflix And Skydance (in en-US).
- ↑ Mehra, Vansh. "Good Burger 2 Cast: Luna Foxx, Roxanne & All Cameos in The Movie", November 23, 2023.
- ↑ Goodfellow, Melanie (2023-06-20). Zoe Saldaña, Garrett Hedlund & Adria Arjona Thriller The Absence Of Eden Sets Taormina World Premiere (in en-US).
- ↑ Zoe Saldaña hopes Gamora lives on despite her stepping down after Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (in en) (April 25, 2023).
- ↑ Keslassy, Elsa (2023-01-18). Emilia Perez, Starring Selena Gomez and Zoe Saldaña, to Begin Filming This Spring (in en-US).
- ↑ Giardina, Carolyn (2024-08-10). Pixar's 'Elio' Adds Zoe Saldana.
- ↑ McNary, Dave (2017-04-22). Avatar Sequel Release Dates Set, Starting in December 2020 (in en-US).
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedbtva - ↑ Massoto, Erick (September 15, 2022). Zoe Saldaña Falls in Love With Italy and a Handsome Chef in 'From Scratch' Trailer.
- ↑ White, Peter (2022-02-15). Billy Bob Thornton Set As Lead In Land Man, Zoe Saldaña To Star In Lioness & 1883 Gets New Season, Spinoff As Paramount+ Grows Taylor Sheridan Universe (in en-US).