Zoë Saldaña

Zoë Saldaña is an actress known primarily for her work in science fiction film franchises. She has starred in four of the highest-grossing films of all time— Avatar, Avatar: The Way of Water, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame. This achievement marks a milestone that no other performer has achieved. Films she has appeared in have grossed more than $15 billion worldwide, and as of 2023, she is the second-highest-grossing film actress and the fourth actor overall.

A trained dancer, Saldaña launched her acting career in 1999 with two episodes of "Law & Order." Her first film role was in Center Stage, where she portrayed a ballet dancer. She received early recognition for her work opposite Britney Spears in the film Crossroads. Saldaña's roles as Nyota Uhura in the Star Trek film series and Neytiri in James Cameron's Avatar film series, initiated in 2009, marked significant career breakthroughs. In addition to these, she portrayed Gamora in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, from Guardians of the Galaxy to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

Saldaña's work extends beyond franchise roles. She 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 "Special Ops: Lioness." In that same year, she was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine. She also reprised her role as Neytiri in Avatar: The Way of Water and attended the film's premiere in Los Angeles in 2022. In 2024, she won Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival for the gangster musical Emilia Perez alongside co-stars Selena Gomez, Karla Sofía Gascón, and Adriana Paz.

Beyond acting, Saldaña has made contributions to the media industry as well. She founded BESE, a digital media platform focused on highlighting positive stories in the Latino community, and she supports FINCA International, a micro-finance organization. In recognition of her work, Saldaña received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2018 and has received multiple awards and nominations for her acting performances, including the Saturn Award for Best Actress for her performance as Neytiri in Avatar.