Zoe Saldaña
Updated: Wikipedia source
Zoë Yadira Saldaña-Perego ( sahl-DAN-yə, Latin American Spanish: [ˈso.e salˈdaɲa]; née Saldaña Nazario; born June 19, 1978) is an American actress. Known primarily for her work in science fiction film franchises, she has starred in four of the seven highest-grossing films of all time, including the top three (Avatar, Avengers: Endgame and Avatar: The Way of Water). Films she has appeared in have grossed more than $15 billion worldwide and, as of 2024, she is the second highest-grossing lead actress and the highest-grossing actress overall. Her accolades include an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, a SAG Award, a Cannes Film Festival Award, and a Golden Globe Award. Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2023. A trained dancer, Saldaña began her on-screen acting career in 1999 with a guest role in Law & Order. Her first film role was in Center Stage (2000) in which she played a ballet dancer. She received early recognition for her work opposite Britney Spears in the road film Crossroads (2002). Beginning in 2009, Saldaña achieved a career breakthrough with her roles as Nyota Uhura in the Star Trek reboot film series (2009–2016) and Neytiri in James Cameron's Avatar film series (2009–present). She portrayed Gamora in five films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, from Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023). In addition to franchise work, Saldaña has starred in the science fiction film The Adam Project and the romantic drama miniseries From Scratch, both for Netflix in 2022. In 2023, she began playing the lead role of a CIA officer in the Paramount+ spy series Lioness. In 2024, Saldaña starred in the musical crime film Emilia Pérez, for which she received an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.