With leading roles in blockbuster films like Avatar, Star Trek, and Marvel: Guardians of the Galaxy, Zoe Saldana is one of the highest-grossing actresses of all time.
I still remember the first time I was treated to a mesmerising Zoe Saldana performance. Her portrayal of the blue-skinned, wide-eyed Neytiri in the 2009 James Cameron’s ground-breaking (3D!) film, Avatar, was nothing short of extraordinary. Zoe expertly embodied the grace of the Na’vi warrior princess, and seamlessly blended into the world of motion-capture technology.
Thanks to innovative special effects and a riveting storyline, the highly anticipated film became a massive hit – and Zoe delivered one of its most stellar performances. I wasn’t the only one paying attention to this talented beauty. Audiences and critics alike praised Zoe’s performance, quickly making her a bona fide Hollywood star.
In the same year, she debuted in another prominent role as Star Trek‘s Nyota Uhura. But her acting journey began much earlier, with an appearance in a 1999 episode of Law & Order. Her big break came when she was cast as the feisty dancer Eva Rodriguez in the 2000 film, Centre Stage.
Now, 14 years after the release of Avatar, the 45-year-old New Jersey-born actress continues to prove her incredible range and versatility. Recent popular works include the 2010 comedy, Death at a Funeral, the 2011 action-packed Colombiana, the 2016 Oscar-winning film, Nina – in which she portrayed legendary singer Nina Simone. In 2022 it was the Netflix series, From Scratch, the highly-anticipated Avatar sequel, The Way of Water, and then 2023’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
Despite her illustrious career, Zoe humbly admitted to feeling nervous when Taylor Sheridan – the mind behind the engrossing Yellowstone saga and other phenomenal shows – recently invited her to join his next project, Special Ops: Lioness. This espionage thriller reveals the secretive world of a CIA programme, and the fascinating backstories of strong women trained as covert operatives ready to navigate the shadows of a world on the brink.
The series is set to premiere on Paramount+ in the third quarter of 2023. “He sent me a pilot he wanted me to read, and if I responded well to it, he wanted to continue writing this character around me,” Zoe recalled in a recent interview with US Vanity Fair. “You work really hard, expecting those calls.
And when you get them, you don’t believe it.” The call came in 2020. Caught in the midst of an unprecedented global pandemic, Zoe found herself grappling with a colossal decision. Fear and uncertainty welled up inside her as she considered the implications of committing to a show that would run for multiple seasons.
She revealed her inner turmoil to her husband, Marco Perego-Saldafia, admitting, “I’m going to fail. I just do science fiction. I don’t do this.” Nevertheless, the allure of working alongside the esteemed Taylor and the opportunity to collaborate with the incredible Nicole Kidman, who was already on board as a producer and cast member, made it an enticing opportunity she couldn’t resist.
‘You work really hard, expecting those calls. And when you get them, you don’t believe it.’
The rise of a star
Zoe’s success in Hollywood was never a given. As a woman of colour, she had to overcome not only sexism, but also racial prejudice. Growing up in a multi-ethnic family allowed her to appreciate the richness of her heritage and make it an integral part of who she is today.
Her father is Dominican, while her mother is Puerto Rican, and together they instilled in Zoe the importance of hard work and perseverance. At the age of nine, Zoe and her family emigrated to the Dominican Republic, where she spent the rest of her formative years.
It was during this time that she discovered her passion for dance and enrolled in the prestigious ECOS Espacio de Danza Academy. There, she honed her skills and laid the groundwork for a future in the entertainment industry, studying ballet, jazz and modern dance.
As a child, Zoe dealt with bullies who assumed she would be a pushover. But even then, she was just as capable of holding her own as her tough-as-nails on-screen personae. “You cross me as a lady, it’s over,” she said in an interview with US Marie Claire. Undoubtedly, her career and life have been shaped by her ability to stand up for herself and her beliefs.
Her strength and confidence has earned the respect of her peers and family. Zoe’s personal life has been nothing short of a fairytale, complete with a charming prince in the form of her Italian artist husband. “I don’t do the ABCs. I do what my heart says, what my heart feels,” she told US Marie Claire. “So, from the moment I met my husband, we were together.”
According to an interview with Hollywood Reporter, the pair hit it off from their first meeting in 2013. “I knew of him. Then we met. And months later, we both decided to do what we both vowed never to do – to get married,” she recalled. And they didn’t waste any time after that, tying the knot just three weeks later.
In a heartwarming display of love and commitment, Marco adopted Zoe’s last name upon their marriage, becoming Marco Perego-Saldaña. “I tried to talk him out of it,” Zoe told Elle. “If you use my name, you’re going to be emasculated by your community of artists, by your Latin community of men, by the world,” she said.
But Marco wanted to celebrate being a part of the Saldaña family. “I respected the fact that he didn’t want me to have to give up my name just because that’s the norm,” Zoe said – and the public applauded their choice as evidence of their commitment to partnership and equality.
Today, Zoe and Marco are proud parents to three gorgeous boys, Zen and identical twins, Cy and Bowie. The couple has been open about their approach to parenting, and “find the whole thing about matriarchy and patriarchy, and daddy’s little girl and mama’s boys, completely ludicrous and absolutely unhealthy for the upbringing of a child,” said Zoe in an interview with People. “You are giving them a very distorted and limited view of what a female role is supposed to be in a family and what a male role is supposed to be.”
They want their sons to be free to pursue whatever interests them, regardless of gender, believing that raising children in this way will help them to become compassionate, understanding adults. And let’s face it: whatever these three boys choose to pursue, success surely runs in their genes.
Words by: Koketso Mashika
Photography: Getty
