Zoe Saldaña has long been a franchise darling. After all, she’s made waves in Marvel’s Guardian of the Galaxy films as Gamora, the renowned Avatar films as Neytiri, the 2009 Star Trek film as Nyota Uhura and she made a splash with her performance in the latest season of Special Ops: Lioness. But now she could take home an Oscar: the accomplished star sees her first Academy Award nomination this year—Best Supporting Actress for her role in the film Emilia Pérez. This nomination follows a successful awards season where she’s already won several, including the Golden Globe, BAFTA, and Screen Actors Guild Awards for the same role. Here, read all about the life and career of the wildly successful Zoe Saldaña.
Zoe Saldaña’s early career: from dancing to acting
Before she was covered in green and blue on the big screen, the New Jersey-born actress was cultivating the craft of dance. Spending much of her childhood living in the Dominican Republic, it was there where she studied at the ECOS Espacio de Danza Academy. “Ballet has always been my first passion, but I simply didn’t have the feet, and I have way too much pride and ambition to just be in the corps,” she told Vanity Fair.
It was in 1999 that she made her first appearance on screen with a role in Law & Order, and after that, film roles continued to come her way. Movies like Center Stage (2000), Get Over It (2001), Snipes (2001), Crossroads (2002) and Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) filled her early resume. In 2009, she brought to life the iconic character of Uhura in Star Trek, kicking off the career we’ve loved to watch unfold.
“There’s a very androgynous essence to Uhura. Even though she’s very beautiful and her feminine presence is obvious, there’s this energy and leadership to her that sort of gives you that feeling that her sex appeal is probably observed and admired by the audience, but by her coworkers they just acknowledge her energy and authority,” said Saldaña in an unpublished interview. “And I love that. She came across as very androgynous to me. She’s beautiful, in charge of so many things, and she has so much control of herself, her emotions and she is considered capable enough to run the linguistics department on her own and I just find that amazing.”
Saldaña continued her sci-fi run in 2009 when she appeared in Avatar as Neytiri—and bringing to life her role in this film took more than just showing up to set everyday and lending her voice to the blue, alien character. Neytiri was brought to life using motion capture technology paired with CGI, meaning Saldaña was on set everyday putting in the work.
“Everything you do, your character does,” she said in another unpublished interview. “You put on this Velcro suit and these dots have sensors so that every time you move, it reflects the light these cameras on the ceiling kick off. You also have these dots that need to be on specific muscle areas in your face and you have a helmet with a camera that is documenting all of these things. All of these dots are fed into this system and that’s placed into this world. You are your character and your character is you.”
Zoe Saldaña’s strong female characters: from Marvel to Emilia Pérez
In 2014, Saldaña originated the role of Gamora in Marvel’s Guardian of the Galaxy film series, and it’s become one of her most revered parts over the years. For Saldaña, playing tough-as-nails and strong-willed female characters has become second nature to her, and she’s done it once again in her most recent series, Lioness. Bringing to life the character of Joe, a woman who works for the CIA, her acting chops are on full display.
“I like surprising myself. I like taking myself to these extremes to see if I can pull them off,” Saldaña told CBS News of the physical work she put in to bring to life the intense second season.
In Emilia Pérez, Saldaña takes on a gripping new role as Rita, a high-powered lawyer who becomes entangled in the world of a Mexican cartel leader seeking a dramatic life transformation. Directed by Jacques Audiard, the crime drama—which premiered at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival—marks another bold career move for the actress, showcasing her versatility in complex, emotionally charged roles. And it might just clinch her the Academy Award.
“I felt like I was not right for the part, but there was something pulling me to the project,” Saldaña told W magazine. “Rita, on paper, was supposed to be of Mexican origin, but I just felt that I could play her because I understood that desperation to be something, to be seen, to be heard, and to be appreciated for your passion. This character was already very talented, street-smart, and experienced, but also feeling very empty. She was looking for something.”
Watch Saldaña in Lioness streaming on Paramount+ and tune into the Oscars this Sunday, March 2, at 7 p.m. EST on ABC to see if she takes home the big award!
