Zoe Saldana

Zoe Yadira Saldaña Nazario

19 June 1978

An American actress, producer and dancer. The majority of her early childhood she spent growing up in Jackson Heights, Queens, New York, and her native languages are both English and Spanish. In 1995, she began performing with the FACES theater group in Brooklyn, which put on plays geared toward providing positive messages for teens via themes dealing with issues such as substance abuse and adolescent sexuality. Concurrently, she performed with the New York Youth Theater; her appearance in their production of Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat led a talent agency to recruit her. Her previous dance training, and her acting experience, helped her land her first film role, playing Eva Rodriguez, the talented and headstrong ballet student in the film "Center Stage" (2000).

Saldana was still a member of FACES when she gained exposure in an episode of "Law & Order" which first aired in 1999. Saldana's first film role was in "Center Stage" (2000), directed by Nicholas Hytner, about a group of young dancers from various backgrounds who enroll at the fictitious American Ballet Academy in New York City. 

Saldana appeared in two high-profile roles in 2009, which both went on to raise her profile considerably. She played Nyota Uhura in the film reboot "Star Trek". The films director J. J. Abrams asked Saldana to play the role because he had seen her previous work and liked it. Saldana had never seen the original series, though she had played a Trekkie in "The Terminal", but agreed to play the role after Abrams complimented her. She met with Nichelle Nichols, who explained to her how she had created Uhura's background and named the character. Saldana's mother was a Star Trek fan and sent her voice mails during filming, giving advice on the role. Coincidentally, it was Steven Spielberg who taught her the Vulcan salute five years earlier when he directed her in "The Terminal". The film was a huge box office success grossing $385.7 million.

As actress

• Center Stage (2000)
• Get Over It (2001)
• Snipes (2001)
• Crossroads (2002)
• Drumline (2002)
• Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
• The Terminal (2004)
• Haven (2004)
• Temptation (2004)
• Constellation (2005)
• Guess Who (2005)
• Dirty Deeds (2005)
• The Curse of Father Cardona (2005)
• Premium (2006)
• The Heart Specialist (2006)
• After Sex (2007)
• Blackout (2007)
• Vantage Point (2008)
• Star Trek (2009)
• The Skeptic (2009)
• Avatar (2009)
• The Losers (2010)
• Takers (2010)
• Death at a Funeral (2010)
• Burning Palms (2010)
• Colombiana (2011)
• The Words (2012)
• Blood Ties (2013)
• Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)
• Out of the Furnace (2013)
• Unity (2014)
• Infinitely Polar Bear (2014)
• Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
• The Book of Life (2014)
• Nina (2015)
• Star Trek Beyond (2016)
• Live by Night (2017)
• Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
• My Little Pony: The Movie (2017)
• I Kill Giants (2018)
• Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

Quotations

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Glamour is about feeling good in your own skin.

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I'm a very feminine person, but I have this hard shell, man, and I stay focused and don't take things personally.

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It takes a lot of courage to face up to things you can't do because we feed ourselves so much denial.

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I'm learning the power of going away for the weekend and keeping myself company.

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Happiness is nothing but temporary moments here and there - and I love those. But I would be bored out of my mind if I were happy all the time.

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There's nobody on this earth who can tell you that what you're feeling is wrong. They can tell you it's different to what they're feeling.

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I'm very accepting with my age. It's like notches on your belt: experience, wisdom, and a different kind of beauty. There comes a day when you've become comfortable in your skin.

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I am fluent in Spanish and I understand French, Italian and Portuguese.

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Dancing for the length of time that I did, it centered me in such a way to be really in tune with my body, and I just feel like I'm physically able to do things because of my ballet background. Without ballet, I don't think I'd look graceful at all on screen.

* * *

I have a hyper personality.

* * *

What doesn't feel okay to me, what feels a little bit out of balance, is when you want to turn yourself into something else - when you want to be another person.

* * *

I just want to be a part of great stories, whether I'm part of an amazing ensemble cast or I'm leading it or the antagonist or whatever.

* * *

When I act, a part of me goes into the character I am playing.

* * *

Music is a very big participant in everything I do, from the moment I wake up to the moment I go to bed.

* * *

I don't understand labels. I don't need anybody to tell me I'm Latina or black or anything else. I've played characters that were written for Caucasian females, I just want to be given the same consideration as everybody else, and so far that has been happening.

* * *

I know the responsibility that entails from telling a story. The one thing I despise the most is when I go to a movie and I see a whole bunch of lazy actors making me waste my time and money.

* * *

I'm so intrigued by women throughout history where the significance of what they were representing at that time is obscured by the fact a man saved them or they were prostitutes.

* * *

I like to look strong and commanding.

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I want to be the best daughter, sister, friend and wife I can possibly be - because when I die, I am not going to be buried with my Oscar.

* * *

In dance you use every party of your body except your voice. I wanted to start acting because I wanted to use my voice.

* * *

I had to quit ballet because it felt like a part of me was dying inside.

* * *

Physical roles give me a chance to learn something new.

* * *

I'm a sci-fi girl. If I can have anything in life, I'd want tons of great science-fiction movies and stories. It's so progressive, beautiful, and imaginative.

* * *

If there's anything that I've always said about myself is that to me, it's much more important for me to get to work with filmmakers that I've grown up loving and admiring.

* * *

It gets pretty boring when all you are is the support system for a male character.

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The biggest battle that I have is being a woman in the world. That takes center stage for me.

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Every character has their reasons - even the characters who do dumb things.

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I am hoping for a long career.

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