Zoe Saldana is a talented and accomplished actress who has made a name for herself in Hollywood with her impressive performance. She has received numerous awards throughout her career. She continues to be a force to be reckoned with in the entertainment industry. In our Hollywood Spotlight, we will walk you through how she started her career until she earned herself a star in the Hollywood Hall of Fame.
Early Life
Saldana was born in Passaic, New Jersey, on June 19, 1978. She is of Puerto Rican and Dominican descent and was raised in Queens, New York. Saldana had a passion for performing from a young age and began taking dance classes at five. Saldana’s family moved to the Dominican Republic when she was nine. During this time, she began to develop a deep appreciation for her Dominican heritage and culture.
She later attended the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, where she studied theater. Then, she began to work on her acting skills by performing in local theater productions and participating in school plays.
After graduating high school, Saldana moved to Los Angeles to pursue her acting career. She landed her first major role in the film “Center Stage” (2000), in which she played the lead character, a talented ballet dancer named Eva Rodriguez. The film was a commercial success, and Saldana received very nice reviews for her performance.
Saldana continued to land high-profile roles in various films in the following years. In 2002, she starred in the movie “Crossroads” alongside Britney Spears and Taryn Manning. She also appeared in the film “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl” in 2003, playing the role of Anamaria.
Rise to Stardom
Saldana’s breakout role came in 2009 when she was cast as the lead in the film “Avatar.” The film was a massive commercial success, grossing over $2 billion at the box office and earning Saldana critical acclaim for her portrayal of the character Neytiri.
Saldana’s career continued to soar in the following years, with her taking on roles in several high-profile films. In 2010, she starred in the action-thriller “The Losers,” alongside Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Chris Evans. She also starred in the romantic comedy “Death at a Funeral” (2010).
In 2011, she starred in the film “Colombiana,” playing the role of a professional assassin. The film was a commercial success, grossing over $60 million at the box office. In 2012, Saldana starred in the highly-anticipated Marvel film “The Avengers,” playing the character of Gamora. The film was a massive success, grossing over $1.5 billion at the box office. Saldana received widespread acclaim for her performance. She reprised her role in the sequel, “Avengers: Infinity War” (2018) and “Avengers: Endgame” (2019)
In 2013, Saldana starred in the film “Star Trek Into Darkness,” her role as Uhura. The film was a commercial and critical success, grossing over $467 million at the box office. Saldana also appeared in the critically acclaimed film “Out of the Furnace” in 2013, playing the role of Lena Warren. Again, the film was a commercial and critical success, grossing over $11 million at the box office.
In 2014, Saldana starred in the film “Guardians of the Galaxy,” playing the role of Gamora. The film was a commercial and critical success, grossing over $773 million at the box office. She also reprised her role in the 2016 film “Star Trek Beyond.”
Awards
Saldana’s performance in the film, “Avatar” and “Star Trek” earned her two nominations for the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2009 and 2013, respectively. In 2011, her performance in the film, “Columbiana” earned her yet another nomination for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female.
She has nominations for other awards, including the Screen Actors Guild Award for her role in “Avatar.” She has also been nominated for the Critics’ Choice Movie Award for her role in “Star Trek Into Darkness.” In 2016, Saldana was honored with a Hollywood Walk of Fame star.
Recent Works
Center Stage (2000), Snipes (2001), Crossroads (2002), Pirates of the Caribbean (2003), Haven (2004), Blackout (2007), After Sex (2007), Vantage Point (2008), Star Trek (2009), Avatar (2009), The Losers (2010), Burning Palms (2010), Death at a Funeral (2010), Capturing Avatar (2010), Columbiana (2011), The Avengers (2012), Star Trek: Into Darkness (2013), Blood Tiles (2013), Book of Life (2014), Nina (2016), Star Trek Beyond (2016), My Little Pony: The Movie (2017), Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017), Avengers: Infinity Wars (2018), Avengers: Endgame (2019), Vampires Vs. The Bronx (2020), The Suicide Squad (2021), Vivo (2021), Amsterdam (2022), The Adam Project (2022), Avatar 2 (2022), and Guardians of the Galaxy: Holiday Special (2022).
With her previous success in blockbusters, Zoe Saldana still has a lot more for us as she is currently working on some projects this year. You can keep tabs on her progress in any of her upcoming projects through her social media.
