Zoe Saldaña
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Who is Zoe Saldaña?
Zoë Yadira Saldaña-Perego is an American actress known for her prominent roles in science fiction franchises. She has starred in four of the six highest-grossing films of all time, including Avatar, Avatar: The Way of Water, and Avengers: Endgame. With her films collectively earning over $15 billion worldwide, she ranks as the second highest-grossing lead actress and the highest-grossing actress overall as of 2024. In recognition of her influence, Time magazine included her in its list of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2023.
Trained as a dancer, Saldaña made her television debut in 1999 with a guest appearance on Law & Order. She landed her first film role in Center Stage (2000), playing a ballet dancer, and gained early recognition with Crossroads (2002), where she starred alongside Britney Spears. Her career took off in 2009 with her portrayal of Nyota Uhura in the Star Trek reboot and Neytiri in James Cameron’s Avatar franchise. She also became widely recognized for playing Gamora in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, appearing from Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023).
Beyond her blockbuster roles, Saldaña has taken on diverse projects, including the Netflix films The Adam Project and the romantic drama miniseries From Scratch (both in 2022). In 2023, she starred as a CIA officer in the Paramount+ spy series Special Ops: Lioness. Her performance in the 2024 musical crime drama Emilia Pérez earned her critical acclaim, winning the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress, the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress, and securing an Academy Award nomination in the same category.
Quick Details
| Full Name | Zoë Yadira Saldaña Nazario |
| Also known as | Saldaña Nazario |
| Date of Birth | June 19, 1978 |
| Birthplace | Passaic, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Gender | Female |
| Birthday | June 19 |
| Age | 46 |
| Height | 5′ 7″ (1.70 m) |
| Weight | 63 kilograms (approx) |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Eyes Color | Brown |
| Parents | Asalia Nazario Aridio Saldaña |
| Sibling | Cisely Saldaña(Sibling) Mariel Saldaña(Sibling) Nipo Saldaña(Half Sibling) |
| Spouse | Marco Perego (married. 2013) |
| Partners | Keith Britton (2000–2011) Bradley Cooper (2011–2013) |
| Children | Cy Aridio Perego-Saldana Bowie Ezio Perego-Saldana Zen Perego-Saldana |
| Profession | Actress, Producer, Writer |
| Years active | 1999–present |
| Social media | Facebook, Instagram, X |
Early Life & Education
Zoë Yadira Saldaña Nazario was born on June 19, 1978, in Passaic, New Jersey, and grew up in Queens, New York. Her father, Aridio Saldaña, was Dominican, while her mother, Asalia Nazario, is of mixed Dominican and Puerto Rican heritage. In an interview with Wired, Saldaña mentioned that she is three-quarters Dominican and one-quarter Puerto Rican. Raised alongside her sisters, Cisely and Mariel, she grew up bilingual, with Spanish as their first language at home.
At the age of nine, Saldaña’s father tragically passed away in a car accident. Following his death, she and her sisters moved to the Dominican Republic to live with their paternal family while their mother remained in New York to support their education at a Dominican private school. Her mother later married Dagoberto Galán, whom Saldaña and her sisters consider their father.
While living in the Dominican Republic, Saldaña developed a passion for dance and trained at the ECOS Espacio de Danza Academy, where she studied various dance forms, with ballet being her primary focus. However, she eventually quit ballet, believing she lacked the ideal physique for a professional career. After her sophomore year, she returned to New York City with her family, completing her education at Newtown High School in Queens and spending much of her later childhood in Jackson Heights.
In 1995, Saldaña joined the Faces theater group in Brooklyn, performing in plays that addressed issues like substance abuse and adolescent challenges. She also performed with the New York Youth Theater, where her role in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat caught the attention of a talent agency. Her background in dance and theater helped her secure her first film role as Eva Rodriguez, a ballet student, in Center Stage (2000).
Career
Saldaña made her film debut in Center Stage (2000), directed by Nicholas Hytner, portraying a ballet student at a fictional dance academy. She later appeared in Crossroads (2002) alongside Britney Spears, which, despite negative reviews, performed well at the box office. That same year, she starred in the comedy-drama Drumline (2002) with Nick Cannon, receiving mixed critical reception.
In Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), she played Anamaria, a pirate seeking revenge against Jack Sparrow. She then appeared in The Terminal (2004) as an immigration officer and Star Trek fan, a role that later influenced her casting in the Star Trek reboot (2009). Her other 2004 films, Haven and Temptation, failed to achieve commercial success.
Over the next few years, Saldaña took on diverse roles, appearing in Constellation (2005), Guess Who (2005) with Ashton Kutcher, and Dirty Deeds (2005). She starred in the romantic dramedies Premium (2006) and After Sex (2007) and led the cast in Blackout (2007), a TV film about the 2003 Northeast Blackout that later aired on BET in 2008. She also had a supporting role in the action thriller Vantage Point (2008) as Angie Jones.
Saldaña’s career soared in 2009 with two major roles. She portrayed Nyota Uhura in Star Trek, a role she was personally invited to play by director J.J. Abrams. To prepare, she met with Nichelle Nichols, the original Uhura, and even received guidance from her Star Trek-fan mother. The film was a commercial success, grossing $385.7 million.
Her second major role that year was Neytiri in James Cameron’s Avatar, which became the highest-grossing film of all time, earning $2.7 billion globally. Her performance won her a Saturn Award for Best Actress, a rare achievement for an entirely CGI-based character.
In 2010, Saldaña took on action-heavy roles in The Losers, Takers, Death at a Funeral, and Burning Palms. The following year, she starred in The Heart Specialist and led the action thriller Colombiana as assassin Cataleya Restrepo, a performance praised despite mixed reviews. In 2012, she appeared in The Words, though the film received negative reviews and performed poorly at the box office.
She reprised her role as Uhura in Star Trek Into Darkness (2013), which grossed $467 million worldwide, making it the highest-earning film of the franchise. She also voiced Uhura in the Star Trek video game adaptation.
In 2014, Saldaña joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Gamora in Guardians of the Galaxy, opting for physical makeup instead of CGI. The film became the third-highest-grossing MCU film at the time and earned her multiple award nominations. That year, she also starred in and co-produced Rosemary’s Baby and was honored by Elle magazine at The Women in Hollywood Awards.
Saldaña portrayed jazz musician Nina Simone in Nina (2016), a role met with controversy and criticism. She later apologized, acknowledging she was not the right fit for the part. That year, she also starred in Star Trek Beyond and Live by Night.
She continued as Gamora in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) and reprised the role in Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Avengers: Endgame (2019), and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023), marking her final appearance in the MCU. Other notable roles during this period include I Kill Giants (2017) and voicing Captain Celaeno in My Little Pony: The Movie (2017). In 2018, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
In 2021, Saldaña took on two voice roles for Netflix, starring as Rosita in the animated musical Vivo and as the lead character in Maya and the Three. She later joined the ensemble cast of David O. Russell’s Amsterdam (2022).
That same year, she reprised her role as Neytiri in Avatar: The Way of Water, once again contributing to a record-breaking box office run. In addition to her performance, she recorded the song The Songcord for the film’s soundtrack.
In 2023, she starred in Taylor Sheridan’s Special Ops: Lioness on Paramount+, playing a CIA officer. The following year, she delivered a critically acclaimed performance in Emilia Pérez (2024), earning the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress alongside her co-stars. The role also won her a Golden Globe and garnered nominations for an Academy Award, BAFTA, and Screen Actors Guild Award.
Looking ahead, Saldaña is set to return for upcoming Avatar sequels and will lend her voice to the Pixar sci-fi adventure Elio (2025).
Personal Life
In June 2010, Saldaña became engaged to longtime boyfriend Keith Britton, an actor and CEO of My Fashion Database, but they ended their 11-year relationship in November 2011. She later dated actor Bradley Cooper from December 2011 to January 2013.
In March 2013, she began dating Italian artist Marco Perego, and they married three months later in London. Perego took her surname upon marriage, making them both Saldaña-Perego. The couple has three sons and raises them in a multilingual household, speaking Spanish, Italian, and English.
Saldaña has openly discussed her struggle with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, an autoimmune disorder she shares with her mother and sisters. To manage it, she and her husband follow a gluten- and dairy-free diet.
Beyond acting, she supports FINCA International, a micro-finance organization, and founded BESE in 2017 to promote diversity in media with a focus on uplifting Latino voices. In 2020, she joined the VoteRiders #IDCheck Challenge, using her platform to spread awareness about voter ID requirements.
