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Zoë Saldaña | |
---|---|
![]() Saldaña in 2022 | |
Born | Zoë Yadira Saldaña Nazario June 19, 1978 Passaic, New Jersey, U.S. |
Occupation | Actress |
Years active | 1999–present |
Spouse |
Marco Perego-Saldaña
(m. 2013) |
Partners |
|
Children | 3 |
Zoë Yadira Saldaña Nazario (/sɑːlˈdænə/ sahl-DAN-ə; born June 19, 1978) is an American actress. Known primarily for her work in dramas and science fiction films, she has starred in four of the highest-grossing films of all time.[a] Films she has appeared in have grossed more than $15 billion worldwide and, as of 2024, she is the highest-grossing film actress.
Born in Passaic, New Jersey and raised in New York, ...
Life and career
edit1978–1998: Early life and background
edit"There's no winter, no Santa Claus, no grapes or apples — it's mango and guavas. Everything was always new and changing, changing, changing. These sound like small things, but they add up in a day. It was hard."
—Saldaña on her childhood<[1]
Zoe Saldaña was born on June 19, 1978 in Passaic, New Jersey[2] to Asalia Nazario and Aridio Saldaña.[1] Her mother is Puerto Rican, while her father is Dominican.[1] Initially raised in Queens, New York during her early years, she grew up with two sisters, Cisely and Maridel.[3] In 1987, his father died in a car crash. She and her sisters relocated to the Dominican Republic, where her relatives resided at the time.[4][1] Saldaña took up dance classes in the Dominican Republic.[1] At age 17, she returned to New York and began performing in a theatrical troupe.[2]
1999–2008: Career beginnings
editSaldaña made her acting debut with an appearance in an episode of the crime drama series Law & Order (1999).[2] The following year, she made her film debut in Center Stage, a film about ballet dancers from different backgrounds were trained ballet school in New York City, which is inspired from the School of American Ballet.[5][6] She then appeared in Crossroads (2002).[7] It featured her co-starring alongside the singer Britney Spears and actress Taryn Manning as three best friends taking on a road trip.[8] The film was commercially successful, grossing US$61.1 million at the box office,[9] but it was panned by critics.[10][11]
2009–2013: Star Trek, Avatar, and breakthrough
editSaldaña began 2009 by starring first starred in the 2009 film Star Trek, a reboot of the franchise of the same name, playing Nyota Uhura. For her role, she credited her mother, who was a fan of the franchise, as her inspiration.[12] Saldaña's final film appearance that year was in James Cameron's Avatar. She played the role of Neytiri, a princess in a Na'vi clan. During production, she helped actors in screen testing for the role of Jake Sully, which eventually went to actor Sam Worthington.[13] The film broke many box office records and has grossed over US$2.9 billion at the worldwide box office, becoming the highest-grossing film of all time.[b][c]
2014–present: Marvel Cinematic Universe and career expansion
editReception and acting style
editPersonal life
editActing credits and accolades
editAccording to the online portal Box Office Mojo, Saldaña's most commercially successful films include Avatar, Avengers: Endgame, Avatar: The Way of Water, and Avengers: Infinity War.[18] Her films have grossed over US$15 million at the box office, making her one of the highest-grossing actors of all time.[d] She is the first actor to have four films gross US$2 million at the box office.[21]
Notes
edit- ^ Avatar, Avengers: Endgame, Avatar: The Way of Water, and Avengers: Infinity War
- ^ Attributed to multiple references:[14][15][16]
- ^ In January 2010, Avatar surpassed Titanic (1997) to become the highest-grossing film of all time.[14] By July 2019, this record was surpassed Avengers: Endgame;[17] this record was held until March 2021, when Avatar became the highest-grossing the film for the second time following a re-release in China.[15]
- ^ Saldaña's films where she played leading roles have grossed over US$14 million at the box office,[19] while films she starred in all roles (including cameos and voice acting) have grossed over US$15 million.[20]
References
editCitations
edit- ^ a b c d e Mannion, Katie (March 30, 2024). "All About Zoe Saldaña's Parents, Asalia Nazario and Aridio Saldaña". People. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
- ^ a b c "Zoe Saldana's Hollywood Walk of Fame Star Unveiled". NBC News. May 3, 2018. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
- ^ Stevens, Kaitlin (April 29, 2024). "Zoe Saldaña's 2 Sisters: All About Cisely and Mariel". People. Retrieved May 26, 2024.
- ^ Brady, Tara (July 31, 2014). "Zoe Saldana: 'I loved Star Trek. I didn't learn until later that it was unorthodox for women to be obsessed with science fiction.'". The Irish Times. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
- ^ Angyal, Chloe (May 11, 2020). "An Oral History of Center Stage". Vulture. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
- ^ Collis, Clark (June 12, 2017). "Zoe Saldana on her Career and Upbringing". Time. Retrieved May 26, 2024.
- ^ Sheffield, Rob (October 23, 2023). "Why Britney Spears' 'Crossroads' Is a Lost Classic". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
- ^ Walsh, Savannah (October 23, 2023). "'You're No Longer Britney Spears': How Crossroads Captured the Girl Beyond the Pop Star". Vanity Fair. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
- ^ McClintock, Pamela. "Britney Spears' 2002 Movie Crossroads Set for October Rerelease in Theaters". The Hollywood Reporterdate=September 21, 2023. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
- ^ "Crossroads (2002)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
- ^ "Crossroads (2002)". Metacritic. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
- ^ Carroll, Larry (April 21, 2009). "New Star Trek Cast Took Cues From The Classic Series". MTV. Archived from the original on May 13, 2024. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
- ^ Nichols, Mackenzie (December 18, 2019). "Avatar: James Cameron, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver Look Back a Decade Later". Variety. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
- ^ a b Segers, Frank (January 25, 2010). "Avatar breaks Titanic worldwide record". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
- ^ a b Tartaglione, Nancy (March 13, 2021). "Avatar Overtakes Avengers: Endgame As All-Time Highest-Grossing Film Worldwide; Rises To $2.8B Amid China Reissue". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
- ^ Malhotra, Rahul (October 3, 2022). "Avatar Becomes First Film Ever to Pass $2.9 Billion at All-Time Global Box Office". Collider. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
- ^ Gettell, Oliver (July 20, 2019). "Avengers: Endgame dethrones Avatar as highest-grossing film in history". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
- ^ "Zoe Saldana Movie Box Office Results". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
- ^ "Top 100 Stars in Leading Roles at the Worldwide Box Office". The Numbers. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
- ^ "Top Stars at the Worldwide Box Office". The Numbers. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
- ^ Carras, Christi (January 23, 2023). "Zoe Saldaña is first actor to star in four films that broke $2 billion at box office". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
Book sources
edit- Spears, Britney; Culotta, Felicia (2002). Britney Spears' Crossroads Diary. Scholastic, Inc. ISBN 978-0-4393-9745-2.