Zoe Saldana sometimes stylized
Zoë Saldaña, is an American actress. She had her breakthrough role in the 2000 film
Center StageCenter Stage is a 2000 American drama film, 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...
and later gained prominence for her roles as Anamaria in
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black PearlPirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl is a 2003 adventure fantasy film based on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disney theme parks. It was directed by Gore Verbinski and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer...
and
UhuraNyota Uhura is a character in Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: The Animated Series, the first six Star Trek films, and the 2009 film Star Trek...
in the 2009 film
Star Trek, and a starring role as Neytiri in
James CameronJames Francis Cameron is a Canadian-American film director, film producer, screenwriter, editor, environmentalist and inventor...
's
Avatar. She also had a lead role in the action film
ColombianaColombiana is a 2011 French-American action film co-written and produced by Luc Besson and directed by Olivier Megaton. The film stars Zoë Saldana in the lead role...
.
Early life
Zoe Saldana was born Zoe Yadira Saldaña Nazario or Zoe Yadira Saldana Nazario in
Passaic, New JerseyPassaic is a city in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 69,781, maintaining its status as the 15th largest municipality in New Jersey with an increase of 1,920 residents from the 2000 Census population of 67,861...
. Her father, Aridio Saldaña, is
DominicanDominicans are people inhabiting or originating from Dominican Republic. Most Dominicans live in Dominican Republic, although there is also a large Dominican diaspora, especially in the United States, Puerto Rico and Spain...
, and her mother, Asalia Nazario, is
Puerto RicanPuerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
.
Her first languages are
EnglishEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and
SpanishSpanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
. She spent the majority of her early childhood growing up in Queens, New York. After her father died in a car accident (when she was nine years old), her mother moved the family to the Dominican Republic. There Saldana discovered her love of dance and soon enrolled in the ECOS Espacio de Danza Academy; she studied
balletBallet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
,
jazzJazz dance is a classification shared by a broad range of dance styles. Before the 1950s, jazz dance referred to dance styles that originated from African American vernacular dance. In the 1950s, a new genre of jazz dance—modern jazz dance—emerged, with roots in Caribbean traditional dance...
, and
modernModern dance is a dance form developed in the early 20th century. Although the term Modern dance has also been applied to a category of 20th Century ballroom dances, Modern dance as a term usually refers to 20th century concert dance.-Intro:...
Latin dance. The family returned to Queens after her sophomore year in
high schoolHigh school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
.
At age 17, she began performing with the Faces theater troupe, which put on plays geared towards providing positive messages for teens, via themes dealing with issues such as
substance abuseA substance-related disorder is an umbrella term used to describe several different conditions associated with several different substances .A substance related disorder is a condition in which an individual uses or abuses a...
and
sexAdolescent sexuality refers to sexual feelings, behavior and development in adolescents and is a stage of human sexuality. Sexuality is often a vital aspect of teenagers' lives...
. 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 big screen role as Eva, the talented and headstrong ballet dancer in the 2000 film
Center StageCenter Stage is a 2000 American drama film, 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...
.
Career
Zoe Saldana was still a member of Faces when she gained exposure in an episode of
Law & Order (titled "Merger") which first aired in 1999. She left school after
Center Stage, subsequently appearing in the
Britney SpearsBritney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
vehicle
CrossroadsCrossroads is a 2002 comedy-drama road film directed by Tamra Davis and starring American recording artist Britney Spears, Zoe Saldana and Taryn Manning...
(2002) and the comedy-drama
DrumlineDrumline is a 2002 American film directed by Charles Stone III. The screenplay, which was inspired by The Southwest Dekalb High School Drumline , was written by Tina Gordon Chism and Shawn Schepps...
(2002). She played the pirate Anamaria in the 2003 film
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black PearlPirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl is a 2003 adventure fantasy film based on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disney theme parks. It was directed by Gore Verbinski and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer...
, and has appeared in a number of television shows and movies, including
The TerminalThe Terminal is a 2004 American comedy-drama film directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Tom Hanks and Catherine Zeta-Jones. It is about a man trapped in a terminal at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport when he is denied entry into the United States and at the same time cannot...
(2004) and
Guess WhoGuess Who is a 2005 American comedy film about race relations directed by Kevin Rodney Sullivan. It is a loose remake of the 1967 film Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, in the form of a romantic comedy...
(2005).
Saldana was also the lead in the video for
Juan Luis GuerraJuan Luis Guerra is a singer, songwriter and producer from the Dominican Republic who has sold over 30 million records, and won numerous awards including 12 Latin Grammy Awards, two Grammy Awards, and two Latin Billboard Music Awards...
's song "
La llave de mi corazónLa Llave De Mi Corazón is a 2007 hit song from Juan Luis Guerra that has won numerous Latin awards.-Song information:Though the song is primarily written in Spanish, several parts of the lyrics are written in English...
", and played
UhuraNyota Uhura is a character in Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: The Animated Series, the first six Star Trek films, and the 2009 film Star Trek...
in the 2009 film
Star Trek. In 2009, she played Neytiri, the Na'vi princess, in
James CameronJames Francis Cameron is a Canadian-American film director, film producer, screenwriter, editor, environmentalist and inventor...
's
Avatar, a role that gave her much publicity and recognition, and therefore presenting her more opportunities to work in big commercial films.
She is the only actress to have three movies in the box office top 20 for three consecutive weeks. These movies are
Avatar,
The Losers, and
Death at a Funeral.
In August 2010, Saldana's television ad for
Calvin KleinCalvin Richard Klein is an American fashion designer who launched the company that would later become Calvin Klein Inc. in 1968. In addition to clothing, Klein has also given his name to a range of perfumes, watches, and jewelry....
's "Envy" line debuted. In 2011, she starred in the crime drama movie
ColombianaColombiana is a 2011 French-American action film co-written and produced by Luc Besson and directed by Olivier Megaton. The film stars Zoë Saldana in the lead role...
.
Personal life
In June 2010, Saldana became engaged to Keith Britton, an actor and CEO of My Fashion Database. In November 2011, it was confirmed that Saldana and Britton had amicably ended their relationship after eleven years together.
Saldana is a celebrity supporter of
FINCA InternationalThe Foundation for International Community Assistance is a non-profit, microfinance organization, founded by John Hatch in 1984. Sometimes referred to as the "World Bank for the Poor" and a "poverty vaccine for the planet", FINCA is the innovator of the village banking methodology in microcredit...
, a
microfinanceMicrofinance is the provision of financial services to low-income clients or solidarity lending groups including consumers and the self-employed, who traditionally lack access to banking and related services....
organization.
Filmography
Film
| Year |
Title |
Role |
Notes |
| 2000 |
Center Stage Center Stage is a 2000 American drama film, 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...
|
Eva Rodriguez |
|
| 2001 |
Get Over ItGet Over It is a 2001 American romantic comedy film about a teenage boy whose girlfriend ends their relationship. The film was directed by Tommy O'Haver for Miramax Films. The film stars Ben Foster, Kirsten Dunst, Melissa Sagemiller, Sisqó, Colin Hanks, Shane West, and Martin Short. R. Lee Fleming,...
|
Maggie |
|
| Snipes |
Cheryl |
|
| 2002 |
CrossroadsCrossroads is a 2002 comedy-drama road film directed by Tamra Davis and starring American recording artist Britney Spears, Zoe Saldana and Taryn Manning...
|
Kit |
|
| Drumline Drumline is a 2002 American film directed by Charles Stone III. The screenplay, which was inspired by The Southwest Dekalb High School Drumline , was written by Tina Gordon Chism and Shawn Schepps...
|
Laila |
Nominated—MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss This is a following list for the MTV Movie Award winners and nominees for Best Kiss.This is a following list for the MTV Movie Award winners and nominees for Best Kiss....
|
| 2003 |
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black PearlPirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl is a 2003 adventure fantasy film based on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disney theme parks. It was directed by Gore Verbinski and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer...
|
Anamaria |
|
| 2004 |
The TerminalThe Terminal is a 2004 American comedy-drama film directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Tom Hanks and Catherine Zeta-Jones. It is about a man trapped in a terminal at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport when he is denied entry into the United States and at the same time cannot...
|
Dolores Torres |
|
HavenHaven is a 2004 feature film set in the Cayman Islands, a British offshore financial centre. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2004. It is written and directed by native Caymanian Frank E...
|
Andrea |
|
| Temptation Temptation is a 2004 Movie Musical written by Sydney Forest and John Taylor, directed by Mark Tarlov. The film contained an all-star Broadway cast featuring several Tony Award winning actors as well as many other leading men and women from the Broadway stage; several of which have been...
|
Annie |
|
| 2005 |
Constellation Constellation is a film that was released by Codeblack Entertainment and 20th Century Fox in 2007. Prior to theatrical release the film won several Audience and Jury Awards at Festivals. It had its French Premiere in Cannes,...
|
Rosa Boxer |
|
Guess WhoGuess Who is a 2005 American comedy film about race relations directed by Kevin Rodney Sullivan. It is a loose remake of the 1967 film Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, in the form of a romantic comedy...
|
Theresa Jones |
Nominated—Black Movie Award for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role The Black Movie Awards is an annual ceremony held to recognize achievements of film actors of African descent and to honor films that stand out in their portrayal of Black experience...
Nominated—Black Reel Award for Best ActressThe Black Reel Awards began in 2000 and were designed to annually recognize and celebrate the achievements of black people in feature, independent and television films...
Nominated—Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture
Nominated—Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Breakout Performance – FemaleThe Teen Choice Awards, are an annual awards show that air on the Fox cable channel, that honor the year's biggest biggest achievements in music, movies, sports, television, fashion and more, voted by teen viewers aged 14 through 17. Winners receive an authentic full size surfboard designed with...
|
| Dirty Deeds Dirty Deeds is a 2005 American comedy film directed by David Kendall, produced by Bill Civitella and Dan Kaplow; written by Jon Land and Jonathan Thies...
|
Rachel Buff |
|
| La maldición del padre Cardona |
Flor |
|
| 2006 |
Premium Premium is a 2006 romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Pete Chatmon.-Cast:* Dorian Missick as Cool* Zoe Saldana as Charli* Hill Harper as Ed* Eva Pigford as Farrah* Tonya Pinkins as Marva* Sean Nelson as Austin Price...
|
Charli |
|
| 2007 |
After Sex |
Kat |
|
| Blackout |
Claudine |
|
| 2008 |
Vantage Point Vantage Point is a 2008 American political action thriller film directed by Pete Travis. It was adapted from a screenplay written by Barry L. Levy. The story focuses on an assassination attempt on the President of the United States as seen from a different set of vantage points through the eyes of...
|
Angie Jones |
|
| 2009 |
Star Trek |
Nyota UhuraNyota Uhura is a character in Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: The Animated Series, the first six Star Trek films, and the 2009 film Star Trek...
|
Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Cast -2000s:*2003: Mystic River*2004: Sideways*2005: Syriana*2006: United 93*2007: Before the Devil Knows You're Dead*2008: Tropic Thunder*2009: Precious / Star Trek-2010s:*2010: The Fighter...
Premios JuventudPremios Juventud is an awards show for Spanish-speaking celebrities in the areas of film, music, sports, fashion, and pop culture, presented by the television network Univision...
for Best Actress (also for Avatar)
Nominated—ALMA Award for Outstanding Actress – Motion PictureThe American Latino Media Arts Award, or ALMA Award is a distinction awarded to Latino performers who promote positive portrayals of Latinos in the entertainment field...
Nominated—Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Cast
Nominated—Detroid Film Critics Society Award for Best Cast
Nominated—IGN AwardIGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
for Babe of the Summer
Nominated—People's Choice Award for Favorite Breakout Movie ActressThe 36th People's Choice Awards, honoring the best in popular culture for 2009, was held on January 6, 2010 at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California, and was broadcasted on CBS. Not all of the awards were presented on air during the show, as many including Favorite Movie were left out...
Nominated—Scream Award for Best Science Fiction ActressThe Scream Awards is an award show dedicated to the horror, sci-fi, and fantasy genres of feature films, hosted and sponsored by Spike TV. The show was created by executive producers Michael Levitt, Cindy Levitt, and Casey Patterson....
Nominated—Scream Award for Breakout Performance – FemaleThe Scream Awards is an award show dedicated to the horror, sci-fi, and fantasy genres of feature films, hosted and sponsored by Spike TV. The show was created by executive producers Michael Levitt, Cindy Levitt, and Casey Patterson....
Nominated—Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actress – Action AdventureThe Teen Choice Awards, are an annual awards show that air on the Fox cable channel, that honor the year's biggest biggest achievements in music, movies, sports, television, fashion and more, voted by teen viewers aged 14 through 17. Winners receive an authentic full size surfboard designed with...
Nominated—Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best EnsembleThe Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Ensemble is one of the annual awards given by the Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association.-2000s:-2010s:...
|
| The Skeptic The Skeptic is a 2009 American horror film written and directed by Tennyson Bardwell. Starring Tim Daly, Zoe Saldana, and Tom Arnold, and featuring Robert Prosky and Edward Hermann, it depicts the story of an attorney who inherits a seemingly haunted house, though he does not believe in the...
|
Cassie |
|
| Avatar |
Neytiri |
BET Award for Best Actress The 2010 BET Awards took place at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on June 27, 2010, honoring African-Americans and other minorities in music, acting, sports and other fields in the past year...
Empire Award for Best ActressThe 15th Empire Awards , honoring the best in film in 2009, were held on March 28, 2010 at the Grosvenor House Hotel and hosted by Dara Ó Briain. Below is a complete list of nominees and winners...
Premios JuventudPremios Juventud is an awards show for Spanish-speaking celebrities in the areas of film, music, sports, fashion, and pop culture, presented by the television network Univision...
for Best Actress (also for Star Trek)
Saturn Award for Best Actress
Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actress – Sci-FiThe Teen Choice Awards, are an annual awards show that air on the Fox cable channel, that honor the year's biggest biggest achievements in music, movies, sports, television, fashion and more, voted by teen viewers aged 14 through 17. Winners receive an authentic full size surfboard designed with...
VES Award for Outstanding Animated Character in a Live Action Feature Motion Picture (shared with Andrew JonesAndrew Jones is a U.S. visual artist working in the fields of concept art for movies and video-games, fashion design, body painting, illustration and digital performances...
, Joe LetteriJoe Letteri is a senior visual effects artist, winner of 4 Academy award, 4 BAFTAs and 4 VES. He is the current Director of the Academy Award-winning Weta Digital, having joined the company in 2001. He has been the visual effects supervisor of several movies, his latest work being Avatar...
, and Jeff Unay)
Nominated—Black Reel Award for Best Supporting ActressThe Black Reel Awards began in 2000 and were designed to annually recognize and celebrate the achievements of black people in feature, independent and television films...
Nominated—Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Nominated—Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Movie Actress
Nominated—MTV Movie Award for Best Female PerformanceThe MTV Movie Awards is a film awards show presented annually on MTV . It also contains movie parodies that used official movie footage with hosts and other celebrities and music performances. The nominees are decided by producers and executives at MTV. Winners are decided online by the general...
Nominated—MTV Movie Award for Best KissThis is a following list for the MTV Movie Award winners and nominees for Best Kiss.This is a following list for the MTV Movie Award winners and nominees for Best Kiss....
Nominated—Scream Award for Best Science Fiction ActressThe Scream Awards is an award show dedicated to the horror, sci-fi, and fantasy genres of feature films, hosted and sponsored by Spike TV. The show was created by executive producers Michael Levitt, Cindy Levitt, and Casey Patterson...
|
| 2010 |
The Losers The Losers is a 2010 American action based on the adaptation of the Vertigo comic book series of the same name by Andy Diggle. Directed by Sylvain White, the film features an ensemble cast that includes Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Zoe Saldana and Chris Evans....
|
Aisha |
Nominated—Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actress – Action Adventure The Teen Choice Awards, are an annual awards show that air on the Fox cable channel, that honor the year's biggest biggest achievements in music, movies, sports, television, fashion and more, voted by teen viewers aged 14 through 17. Winners receive an authentic full size surfboard designed with...
|
| Takers Takers is a 2010 crime film directed by John Luessenhop from a story and screenplay written by Luessenhop, Gabriel Casseus, Peter Allen, John Rogers, and Avery Duff. It features an ensemble cast that includes Matt Dillon, Chris Brown, Idris Elba, T.I., Jay Hernandez, Paul Walker, Hayden...
|
Lily Jansen |
|
| Death at a Funeral Death at a Funeral is a 2010 American comedy film directed by Neil LaBute and starring an ensemble cast. The film is a remake of the 2007 British film of the same name.-Plot:...
|
Elaine |
Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actress – Comedy The Teen Choice Awards, are an annual awards show that air on the Fox cable channel, that honor the year's biggest biggest achievements in music, movies, sports, television, fashion and more, voted by teen viewers aged 14 through 17. Winners receive an authentic full size surfboard designed with...
|
| Burning Palms Burning Palms is a 2010 satirical film based on Los Angeles stereotypes told through five intertwining storylines.-Premise:The film explores satires of Angeleno stereotypes, which are told through five interlacing stories. The five intertwining segments are based on popular stereotypes of West...
|
Sara Cotton |
| 2011 |
The Heart Specialist The Heart Specialist is a romantic comedy film starring Wood Harris, Zoe Saldana, Brian J. White, and Mýa. Originally released under the title Ways of the Flesh, the film premiered at the 2006 Boston Film Festival...
|
Donna |
|
| Colombiana Colombiana is a 2011 French-American action film co-written and produced by Luc Besson and directed by Olivier Megaton. The film stars Zoë Saldana in the lead role...
|
Cataleya Restrepo |
IGN Award IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
for Babe of the Summer |
| 2012 |
Star Trek 2 Star Trek XII is a planned film sequel to 2009's Star Trek currently untitled and in the pre-production stages. The sci-fi action film is scheduled to enter production in January 2012 and is due to be directed by J.J. Abrams.-Development:...
|
Nyota UhuraNyota Uhura is a character in Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: The Animated Series, the first six Star Trek films, and the 2009 film Star Trek...
|
filming |
| 2013 |
The Words The Words is an upcoming 2012 drama thriller film, written and directed by Brian Klugman and Lee Sternthal, as their directorial debut. It will star Bradley Cooper, Olivia Wilde, Zoe Saldana, Jeremy Irons, Ben Barnes and Dennis Quaid.- Storyline :...
|
Dora |
Post-production |
| 2014 |
Avatar 2 |
Neytiri |
Pre-production |
| 2015 |
Avatar 3 |
Neytiri |
Pre-production |
Television
| Year |
Title |
Role |
Notes |
| 1999 |
Law & OrderLaw & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series, created by Dick Wolf and part of the Law & Order franchise. It aired on NBC, and in syndication on various cable networks. Law & Order premiered on September 13, 1990, and completed its 20th and final season on May 24,...
|
Uncredited |
1 episode: "Refuge, Part 2" |
| 2004 |
Law & Order: Special Victims UnitLaw & Order: Special Victims Unit is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it is also primarily produced...
|
Gabrielle Vega |
1 episode: "Criminal" |
| 2006–2007 |
Six DegreesSix Degrees is an American dramatic television series about six residents of New York City and their respective relationships and connections with one another, based on the idea of six degrees of separation....
|
Regina |
5 episodes |
External links