Zoe Saldañahas made a name for herself as one of the most dependable and versatile stars in cinema, becoming the second highest-grossing lead actress in history (viaticketsource.us).Her work is a stellar mix of creativity, subtlety, and physicality. Since 2009, she has starred in more than one ofthe biggest movie franchises of all time, smashing box-office records and defining a new age of cinema with larger-than-life action and a unique array of characters she flawlessly embodies.
Saldaña’s filmography of the past 15 years is franchise after franchise,having starred in four of the highest-grossing films ever made. She has played iconic characters like Neytiri in the revolutionaryAvatarseries and Gamora inGuardians of the Galaxy. Saldañautilizes every technique and technology combined with her immense talent, enabling her to carry a superhero universe or portray more intimate characters in a catalog of films that make her one of the most prolific and celebrated actors in history.
The Book of Life
Cast
In the Mexican town of San Angel, two young men are competing for the affection of their childhood friend Maria — but Xibalba, the mythical ruler of the Land of the Forgotten, interferes in their affairs in an attempt to win a bet with his wife.
In the feature-length directorial debut of Jorge R. Gutierrez,The Book of Lifeis an incredible, visually epic animated film that tells the story of a love triangle between Manolo, Joaquin, and Maria.Recounted as a flashback to a group of school detention students in a museum, the trio goes on an adventure across life and death, and the two men aim to win the affection of Maria. The film encapsulates the spirit of the Day of the Dead, a beautiful and epic tale that spans time and generations.
While not the typical role for Saldaña and one of her few voice acting credits, her voice is wholly unique, and she brings a warming presence to the role. Rather than a cartoonish sound and feel that could cheapen the characters,Saldaña and her co-stars match the beauty and quality of the visual aspects of the film. Her work voicing Maria showcases her ability to transcend mediums on screen.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 continues the adventures of Peter Quill and his eclectic crew as they navigate complex family dynamics and revelations about Quill’s mysterious heritage. Set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the film explores themes of family and identity against a backdrop of intergalactic adventure.
In this sequel to the wildly popular first installment, Saldaña returns to her iconic role as Gamora, the orphan from an alien world who was trained by Thanos to be a cold and calculated killer. In this film,Gamora is reunited with her adopted sister Nebula, delving into their earlier relationship,while Gamora continues her role as a Guardian and protects precious batteries for the Sovereign, a powerful alien race.
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The chemistry betweenGamora and Nebulais one of the most electric parts of the film, its own triumph in one of the most popular Marvel sub-series. The exploration of their early life, the training and suffering they endured under Thanos, and their inevitable fallout all provide an emotional backdrop and undertone to the main story. Saldaña’s portrayal is hardened yet tender, which balances out the film.
Star Trek Beyond
In the Kelvin timeline of Star Trek Films, Captain James Tiberius Kirk, Spock, and the rest of the U.S.S. Enterprise crew return to fight a new enemy who puts everything they and the Federation stand for to the ultimate test. This third installment of the rebooted Star Trek films marked the 50th anniversary of the classic sci-fi franchise.
In another sequel, Saldaña returns to her role as Lieutenant Uhura, the USS Enterprise’s chief communications officer.Star Trek Beyondsees the crew crash-land their ship on a hostile planetafter being violently attacked by the dictator Krall, who sucks the life out of his victims and wants the valuable, ancient artifact that is aboard the Enterprise. Saldaña’s depiction of this iconic character is more subtle than the previous iteration, played by the legendary Nichelle Nichols.
Furthermore, the importance of this role cannot be overstated,as Uhura is one of the first Black characters to be depicted in a non-subservient capacity, and remains an impactful figure through Saldaña’s dignified portrayal. Her relationship with Spock from the secondStar Trekalso continues, which adds another dimension to the role and rounds out a captivating and stellar performance.
Infinitely Polar Bear
Infinitely Polar Bear is a drama directed by Maya Forbes, starring Mark Ruffalo and Zoe Saldana. Set in the late 1970s, the film follows a father struggling with bipolar disorder as he endeavors to take care of his two daughters while their mother attends graduate school. The narrative explores themes of mental illness, family dynamics, and resilience.
Stepping outside her many blockbuster franchises, Saldaña has been a part of some smaller films that showcase her incredible acting range. InInfinitely Polar Bear, Saldaña plays Maggie, the patient and driven wife of a man with depression and bipolar disorder. Maggie aims to complete an MBA program to provide a better life for her daughters; the film tells the story of a family dynamic falling apart and the parents doing their best to reconnect and solve their issues.
While not as popular at the box office, Saldaña and Ruffalo have great chemistry. Saldaña’s portrayal as a wife and mother strained by her husband’s conditions yet maintaining her ever-compassionate and patient demeanor is a brilliant piece of acting. She gets a chance to portray a much broader range of emotions, not held back by actions or a large, star-studded cast, and illustrates a powerful depiction of family life.
Avengers: Infinity War
Avengers: Infinity War brings together the Avengers and their allies to face a new threat from the cosmos, Thanos, who seeks to collect the Infinity Stones. The film, part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, unites numerous superhero characters in a battle to prevent Thanos' ambition of altering reality itself.
Continuing the Goliath record-setting franchise,Avengers: Infinity Warsees the star-studded ensemble cast of theAvengersand theGuardians of the Galaxyfight to stop Thanos from killing half of the entire universe. Saldaña reprises her role as Thanos' daughter Gamora and adds a layer of emotional narrative throughout the action-packed blockbuster. It’s a film, due to its size, popularity, and iconic cast, that it would be hard to stand out in, but Saldaña manages to accomplish this feat.
Gamora’s scenes with Thanos are some of the most intriguing in the entire series, providing the ultimate villain with an outlet other than complete obliteration.Saldaña plays her role perfectly as the scorned yet conflicted daughter, creating a character of massive personal conflictin the MCUand helpingInfinity Warbecome only the fourth film to gross over $2 billion at the box office worldwide.
Avatar: The Way of Water
Avatar: The Way of Water, set more than a decade after the original film, follows the Sully family as they face threats to their survival. With Jake and Neytiri at the helm, they strive to protect their children while combating external perils and confronting personal losses.
In the third highest-grossing film of all time, Saldaña retakes her role as Neytiri, the fierce Na’vi warrior and partner of protagonist Jake Sully.Avatar:The Way Of Watercontinues its expansive exploration of the planet Pandora, with Neytiri and Jake having started a family when their peace and harmony are interrupted by an old threat that destructively returns to their world.
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No matter the size or scale of the film, Saldaña’s performances are always acutely measured and grounded. Saldaña, through the use of motion capture techniques and CGI, embodies the Pandoran princess, capturing her bravery as a warrior and also a mother. It’s a testament to her ability, both physically and verbally, that she can still shine through a character who is so heavily edited, conveying every emotion and scene with beautiful poise.
Guardians of the Galaxy
Guardians of the Galaxy is part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, featuring Chris Pratt as Peter Quill. Abducted from Earth as a child, Quill navigates intergalactic adventures, becoming entwined in a conflict centered on a powerful orb coveted by Ronan the Accuser.
Before the sequel, Saldaña first introduced her Gamora to the world inGuardians of the Galaxy.Gamora is a layered and multi-dimensional characterwho was orphaned at a young age and then led down a destructive path by Thanos. She wants to escape her troubled past and overcome adversity, maintaining a key, respected, and authoritative position within the Guardians, allowing the other more eccentric characters to flourish in the narrative.
As with many of her characters, Saldaña brings warmth and intensity to an action-centric surrounding plot. She never plays to stereotypes and adds depth to the brute physicality of the action sequences. Her roles are pivotal in the success of these movies, and her portrayal is perfectly balanced both in terms of the individual character and her position in the saga. As Saldaña described Gamora (viaSlashFilm):"[…] she’s very lethal, but what saves her is the same thing that can doom her. She has a sense of righteousness."
Avatar
Avatar is a 2009 science fiction film directed by James Cameron. Set in the 22nd century, it follows a paraplegic Marine sent to the moon Pandora on a mission. He becomes conflicted between his orders and defending the indigenous Na’vi civilization.
Before the record-setting sequel, there was the record-setting original. In James Cameron’sAvatar,Saldaña portrays the first iteration of Neytiri. This film follows the Na’vi, the people of the lush moon Pandora who battle for their lives and their homeland’s survival from humans who wish to overtake and mine the world. As well as protecting her home, Neytiri begins a relationship withJake, who becomes a half-human/Na’vi hybridto explore the world and help in the war.
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Avatarhas been hailed as groundbreaking, both in terms of its pushing of technological limits and its themes, including environmental, anti-colonial, and self-preservation motifs. Saldaña, as one of the two leads, is absolutely spectacular; her motion-capture-aided performance takes the blue-skinned Na’vi warrior princess and makes her feel genuine and relatable.Rather than hiding behind CGI, Saldaña, directed by Cameron, uses this to elevate and heighten the roleand create one of the most memorable characters in one of the biggest films ever created.
Star Trek
J.J. Abrams' 2009 movie Star Trek rebooted the iconic sci-fi franchise in a totally new timeline. When a Romulan ship travels back in time and alters the past, the lives of James T. Kirk (Chris Pine), Spock (Zachary Quinto), and the future crew of the USS Enterprise are drastically changed. In this new timeline, the Romulan Nero (Eric Bana) sets out for revenge on Spock, setting off a chain of events that reshape the entire universe.
In the first installment of the J.J. Abrams’Star Trekfilm reboots, Saldaña takes up the role of Lieutenant Uhura. This installment of the iconic science fiction action saga follows the crew of the Enterprise as they combat Nero, who threatens the United Federation of Planets.The story is a time and reality-bending journey taking place in multiple realities at once,which was intended to and succeeds in freeing the franchise from the original’s continuity constraints.
Saldaña’s Nyota Uhura has impeccable chemistry with the entire cast and, once again, grounds the narrative with a matured portrayal in a larger-than-life sci-fi world.Saldaña also cited Nichols (the original Uhura) as a major inspiration for this role(viaThe Hollywood Reporter):“I knew I had big shoes to fill […] and Nichelle made me feel safe, told me to play her with all the confidence in the world.“This kind of respect for the character and original star elevated Saldaña’s performance and produced one of her finest works in film.
Saldaña takes on an incredible role as part of the climax of the MCU’s incredible saga,Avengers: Endgame. Her characterGamora is still alive now through an alternate timelineafter the squad uses the Quantum Realm and time travel to retrieve the stones and attempts to undo Thanos' present-day actions of destroying half the universe and reviving those murdered in the process.Endgameitself is regarded as one of the best superhero epics of all time, and the second highest-grossing film ever made.
Throughout the MCU, Saldaña has been an integral star,playing a role that complicates a narrative and a villain that could be seen as one-dimensional. Her dynamic with every character is electric, and her agility and performance are exceptional, even standing out in a cast full of action stars. Truly embodying superhero ideals,Zoe Saldañagives the performance of a lifetime in one of the most highly-rated and popular films in history.
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