Zoe Saldaña

Zoë Yadira Saldaña-Perego ( , ; ; 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 worldwide and, as of 2024, she is the second highest-grossing lead actress and the highest-grossing actress overall. ''Time'' magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2023.

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).

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, a BAFTA Award, a SAG Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Critics Choice Award, for Best Supporting Actress.

Early life

Zoë Yadira Saldaña Nazario was born on June 19, 1978, in Passaic, New Jersey, and raised in Queens, New York City. Her parents are Aridio Saldaña, who was Dominican, and Asalia Nazario, who is half Dominican and half Puerto Rican. In an interview with ''Wired'', Saldaña has said that she is 3/4 Dominican and 1/4 Puerto Rican. She and her two sisters, Cisely and Mariel, were raised to be bilingual in English and Spanish; the latter was their first language at home. When she was nine, their father was killed in a car accident. Saldaña and her two sisters were sent to live with their late father's family in the Dominican Republic. Their mother remained in New York to earn enough money to pay for her daughter's Dominican private school.

The widowed mother Asalia married Dagoberto Galán, who became the stepfather of the girls. They consider him fully their father. While the whole family lived in the Dominican Republic for a time, after Saldaña's sophomore year in high school, the family returned to New York City to escape political unrest. She completed her early education at Newtown High School in Queens. The majority of her late childhood was spent in Jackson Heights, Queens.

Saldaña discovered her love of dance while living in the Dominican Republic. She was enrolled in the ECOS Espacio de Danza Academy studying forms of dance, but describes ballet as her passion. She told '' Vanity Fair'' that she quit ballet because she did not "have the feet", and had too much pride and ambition to just be in the corps de ballet.

In 1995, Saldaña performed with the Faces theater group in Brooklyn. She appeared in plays that encouraged teenagers by exploring such issues as substance abuse and adolescent sex. During these years, she performed with the New York Youth Theater. Her appearance in their production of ''Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'' led a talent agency to recruit her. Her dance training and her acting experience helped her land her first film role, playing ballet student Eva Rodriguez in '' Center Stage'' (2000).

Career

1999–2008: Career beginnings

Saldaña's first on-screen role was a 1999 guest appearance in an episode of ''Law & Order''. Her first film role was in '' Center Stage'' (2000), directed by Nicholas Hytner, about dancers at the fictitious American Ballet Academy in New York City. She appeared in the Britney Spears vehicle ''Crossroads'' (2002). The film earned negative reviews from critics, but was a box-office success. Saldaña starred in the comedy-drama ''Drumline'' (2002), alongside Nick Cannon, earning mixed reviews.

In '' Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl'' (2003), she played Anamaria, a pirate joining Will Turner and Mr. Gibbs for a chance to confront Jack Sparrow for stealing her ship. She appeared in ''The Terminal'' as Dolores Torres, an immigration officer and ''Star Trek'' fan, a role helping Saldaña during her portrayal in the ''Star Trek'' reboot (2009). In 2004, she had roles in '' Haven'' and ''Temptation''; both earned little-to-no box-office success.

In 2005, Saldaña appeared in ''Constellation'', '' Guess Who'' with Ashton Kutcher, and '' Dirty Deeds''. She starred in the romantic comedy-dramas ''Premium'' (2006) and '' After Sex'' (2007). Saldaña starred in '' Blackout'', a television film set in New York City during the Northeast Blackout of 2003. The film premiered at the 2007 Zurich Film Festival, and debuted on BET in 2008. Saldaña had a supporting role as Angie Jones in the action thriller '' Vantage Point'' (2008). Travis, Pete (Director). (2008). ''Vantage Point'' otion picture United States: Columbia Pictures.

2009–2019: ''Avatar'', ''Star Trek'' films, and Marvel's Infinity Saga

Saldaña appeared in two roles in 2009 that raised her profile considerably. She played Nyota Uhura in ''Star Trek''. The film's director J. J. Abrams asked Saldaña to play the role because he enjoyed her work. She met with Nichelle Nichols to understand the creation of Uhura's background and name of the character. Saldaña's mother was a ''Star Trek'' fan, and left her voice-mails during filming, advising on the role. Steven Spielberg had taught her the Vulcan salute five years earlier while he directed her in ''The Terminal''. ''Star Trek'' (2009) was a box-office success earning $385.7 million.

Saldaña's second high-profile film in 2009 was ''Avatar'', where she portrayed the indigenous hunter Neytiri. ''Avatar'' was well received by critics, with an approval rating of 83% on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. It grossed $2.7 billion worldwide to become the highest-grossing film of all time, as well as specifically in the United States and Canada. It became the first film to gross more than $2 billion worldwide.

The film was nominated for ten Saturn Awards, and won all ten at the 36th Saturn Awards ceremony. Saldaña's Saturn Award for Best Actress win marked a rare occurrence for an all- CG character.

In 2010, Saldaña performed in '' The Losers'' as Aisha al-Fadhil, a native Bolivian woman. For the role, she was required to gain weight in order to carry weapons for eight hours a day. In 2010, she appeared in ''Takers'', '' Death at a Funeral'', and '' Burning Palms''. Her television ad for Calvin Klein's "Envy" line debuted in 2010. In 2011, Saldaña starred in the romantic comedy '' The Heart Specialist'', and portrayed assassin Cataleya Restrepo in the crime drama ''Colombiana''. Although the latter film earned negative reviews from critics, Saldaña's performance was praised.

In 2012, she appeared in the romantic drama '' The Words'', earning negative reviews from critics and little success at the box-office.

In 2013, Saldaña reprised her role as Uhura in ''Star Trek Into Darkness'', the sequel to the ''Star Trek'' re-boot. Like the previous film, it was a box-office success, ending its North American theater run with a box office total of $228,778,661, placing it as the eleventh-highest-grossing film of 2013. It earned $467,365,246 worldwide, ranking it in 14th place for 2013, and making it the highest-grossing film of the franchise. Saldaña voiced her character in the 2013 release of the ''Star Trek'' video game.

In 2014, Saldaña played Gamora in ''Guardians of the Galaxy''. Saldaña portrayed the character with make-up rather than computer generated imagery (CGI) or performance capture. The film became the third-highest-grossing film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, behind '' The Avengers'' and ''Iron Man 3''. It was the third-highest-grossing 2014 film (behind '' Transformers: Age of Extinction'' and '' The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies''), and the highest-grossing superhero film of 2014.

The film earned positive reviews. Saldaña was nominated for numerous awards for her work in the film, including Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Actress in an Action Movie, Favorite Action Movie Actress at the People's Choice Awards, and Best On-Screen Transformation at the MTV Movie Awards.

In May 2014, she performed in '' Rosemary's Baby'', a television mini-series adaptation of Ira Levin's horror novel. Saldaña also co-produced the four-hour two-part show. In 2014, Saldaña was recognized by ''Elle'' magazine during The Women in Hollywood Awards. Women were honored for achievements in film and the motion-picture industry, including acting, directing, and producing.

Saldaña starred in '' Nina'' (2016), an unauthorized biography about the jazz musician Nina Simone. The film depicts the late singer's rise to fame and relationship with her manager Clifton Henderson. Simone's family criticized Saldaña's being cast in this role. In August 2020, Saldaña apologized for taking the role, saying "I'm so sorry. I know better today and I'm never going to do that again. She's one of our giants and someone else should step up. Somebody else should tell her story."

In 2016, she co-starred in the science-fiction sequel ''Star Trek Beyond'' released in July, and Ben Affleck's crime drama '' Live by Night'' released in December.

Saldaña returned as Gamora in the ''Guardians of the Galaxy'' sequel, ''Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2'', released in May 2017. She reprised the role in '' Avengers: Infinity War'' (2018) and its sequel '' Avengers: Endgame'' (2019), albeit as an alternate version of the character in the latter film. She returned in this role in '' Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3'' (2023), her last film in the MCU as Gamora.

Also in 2017, Saldaña played Mrs. Mollé in '' I Kill Giants'', Anders Walter's adaptation of Joe Kelly's graphic novel '' I Kill Giants''. Shooting commenced in Ireland in September 2016. Also that year, she appeared in the animated film '' My Little Pony: The Movie'', performing the voice of pirate parrot Captain Celaeno.Berggren, Victoria (October 6, 2017)
"'My Little Pony: The Movie': Meet the Voices Behind Each Animated Character"
. ''The Hollywood Reporter''. Retrieved January 3, 2023.

On May 3, 2018, she received a star at 6920 Hollywood Boulevard in the Motion Pictures section of the Hollywood Walk of Fame.Pennacchio, George (May 3, 2018)
"Actress Zoe Saldana receives star on Hollywood Walk of Fame"
. ''KABC-TV''. Retrieved January 3, 2023."Zoe Saldana's Hollywood Walk of Fame Star Unveiled"
. ''KNBC''. May 3, 2018. Retrieved January 3, 2023.

2020–present: Television, ''Avatar'' sequels, and ''Emilia Pérez''

In 2021, Saldaña starred in two Netflix productions, appearing as Rosita in the musical '' Vivo'' and as the titular character in ''Maya and the Three''. She joined an all-star cast in David O. Russell's ''Amsterdam''. Saldaña reprised her role as Neytiri in '' Avatar: The Way of Water'' (2022).Huff, Lauren (May 3, 2022)
"Zoe Saldaña says ''Avatar 2'' return is humbling and exciting: 'The wait is finally over'"
. ''Entertainment Weekly''. Retrieved December 23, 2022.Murphy, J. Kim (December 12, 2022)
"Zoe Saldaña, Sam Worthington Recall Their Emotional 'Avatar' Family Reunion at Los Angeles Premiere: 'It's a Labor of Love'"
. ''Variety''. Retrieved December 23, 2022. As part of her role, she performed vocals for the original song "The Songcord" on the film's soundtrack, penned by Simon Franglen.Pinheiro, Ariadna (December 16, 2022)
"'Avatar: The Way of Water' soundtrack: Original score and full tracklist"
. ''Bola VIP''. Retrieved December 23, 2022.Moss, Molly (December 19, 2022)
"Avatar 2 soundtrack: Every song in The Way of Water"
. ''Radio Times''. Retrieved December 23, 2022. She also began starring in the Paramount+ television series '' Special Ops: Lioness'', created by Taylor Sheridan, in 2023.

She played Rita Mora Castro, a high-powered junior criminal defense attorney in the controversial musical crime film '' Emilia Pérez'' (2024), receiving critical acclaim and sharing the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress with her co-stars Karla Sofía Gascón, Selena Gomez, and Adriana Paz. Saldaña also won the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture, the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, and Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role. She is the first Dominican American actress to win an Academy Award.

In addition to the ''Avatar'' sequels, Saldaña had a voice role in the Pixar science fiction adventure film ''Elio'' (2025).

Personal life

In June 2010, Saldaña was engaged to her longtime boyfriend Keith Britton, an actor and the CEO of My Fashion Database. In November 2011, she and Britton announced they had ended their relationship after eleven years. Saldaña was in a relationship with actor Bradley Cooper from December 2011 to January 2013.

In March 2013, Saldaña began dating Italian artist Marco Perego and they married three months later in London. In July 2015, Saldaña revealed Perego adopted her surname upon marriage. Thereafter, Zoë became Zoë Saldaña-Perego and Marco became Marco Perego-Saldaña.Saldaña on ''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'', June 11, 2015, cited in They have three sons together. Saldaña has stated her children will be multi-lingual because she and her husband speak Spanish, Italian and English around them.

In July 2016, during an interview with Net-a-Porter's ''The Edit'', Saldaña revealed she has Hashimoto's thyroiditis, an autoimmune disease, along with her mother and sisters. To combat the effects of this disease, Saldaña said she and her husband adhere to a gluten- and dairy-free diet. Saldaña is a supporter of FINCA International, a micro-finance organization. In 2017, she founded ''BESE'', a digital media platform designed to "combat the lack of diversity in the mainstream media" with an interest on positive stories within the Latino community. In September 2020, Saldaña used her social media presence to participate in the VoteRiders #IDCheck Challenge to help spread the word about voter ID requirements for that year's presidential election.

In October 2023, Saldaña signed the "No Hostage Left Behind" open letter in support of the desire for "Israelis and Palestinians to live side by side in peace".

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

Theme park attractions

Accolades

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Saldaña, Zoe
1978 births
20th-century African-American actresses
21st-century African-American actresses
Actors from Passaic, New Jersey
Actors with dyslexia
Actresses from New Jersey
Actresses from Queens, New York
African–Hispanic and Latino American relations
American actresses of Puerto Rican descent
American film actresses
American people of Dominican Republic descent
American stage actresses
American television actresses
American video game actresses
American voice actresses
Best Supporting Actress Academy Award winners
Best Supporting Actress BAFTA Award winners
Best Supporting Actress Golden Globe (film) winners
Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress winners
Chevaliers of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
Dancers from New York (state)
Living people
Motion capture actresses
Newtown High School (Queens) alumni
Best Supporting Actress AACTA International Award winners
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role Screen Actors Guild Award winners
Recipients of the Order of Christopher Columbus