Zoe Saldana, born Zoe Yadira Zaldana Nazari, is an American Afro-Latina actress who rose to international fame with her role in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, and later became one of the most recognizable figures in global cinema through her performances in Avatar and Star Trek.

Zoe Saldana was born on June 19, 1978, in New Jersey, United States, to a Puerto Rican mother and a father of Dominican descent. She grew up bilingual, speaking both English and Spanish fluently from an early age. Following the death of her father, she moved with her family to the Dominican Republic in 1988, where she received training in dance, ballet, and other performing arts disciplines.

After returning to the United States, she completed her high school education and began taking theater classes. Her first on-screen appearance came in 1999 with the television series Law & Order, where she portrayed the character Belinca. In 2000, she made her feature film debut in Center Stage, playing a talented ballerina.

Although she appeared in films such as Crossroads and Drumline in 2002, her breakthrough role came in 2003 with Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, which introduced her to a global audience. Between 2004 and 2009, she took on supporting roles in films including Blackout, Guess Who, and The Terminal. Her performance in Guess Who earned her nominations at the Black Reel Awards and the Teen Choice Awards.

In 2009, Zoe Saldana starred as Lieutenant Uhura in the feature film reboot of Star Trek. Despite being a science-fiction enthusiast, she revealed that she had not previously watched any Star Trek films before being cast. For her role, she received direct guidance from Nichelle Nichols, who portrayed Uhura in the original television series. Her performance was widely praised for bringing a modern depth to the iconic character.

The same year, she appeared in Star Trek, directed by J. J. Abrams, alongside Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg, Winona Ryder, Leonard Nimoy, and Eric Bana. The film focused on the origins of the Starfleet crew and their first voyage aboard the USS Enterprise.

Zoe Saldana reached unprecedented global success with her role as Neytiri, the Na’vi princess, in Avatar, written and directed by James Cameron. Her performance earned her a nomination for Best Supporting Actress at the Black Reel Awards and solidified her status as a leading figure in science-fiction cinema.

She has cited Whoopi Goldberg and Angelina Jolie as major inspirations. Additionally, she was ranked 42nd on Maxim magazine’s “100 Sexiest Women” list, reflecting both her popularity and cultural impact.

Source: Biyografiler.com