Zoe Saldaña has spoken about being a black woman in Hollywood - saying people of colour are “finally reaping the benefits” of decades of working towards equality.
Saldaña, 45, who is Dominican-Puerto Rican, is known for her work in sci-fi franchises, and is the only actor to have starred in the three highest-grossing films of all time. They are Avatar, Avengers: Endgame and Avatar: The Way of Water.
In an interview with NET-A-PORTER’s digital magazine Porter, she reflects on the progress made by women of colour in the industry.
She said: “When you start out and you are a person of color and you are female, you feel like you work twice as hard and it takes twice as long.
“We are finally reaping the benefits of all the hard labor. I honestly feel like we’re just getting started.”
Saldaña, who trained as a dancer before turning to acting, has been in at least one movie since her break in ballet-themed teen drama Center Stage in 2000.
Speaking about her work ethic, the star said her Latino heritage played a part.
“There is no retirement, you know; Latinos are like that,” she said. “You work until the day you die. It’s part of life. It’s part of your culture.”
Saldaña’s latest project, television thriller Special Ops: Lioness, sees her star alongside one of her idols - Nicole Kidman.
“It’s so hard to act cool, like it’s normal to work with Nicole Kidman, when she’s right next to you!” she said.
“It’s Nicole Kidman! That’s somebody I look up to on a daily basis. She would be on my vision board… She transforms and she’s so confident.”
Away from work, Saldana is also a mother of three sons - twins born in 2014 and another son born three years later. She has been married to artist Marco Perego since 2013.
Speaking about her work/homelife balance, she said Perego had an active role in raising her sons - meaning he often took on more domestic responsibility while she was on the road working.
Saldaña said: “I have a partner who is an active participant in our domestic life. I know that soon it’ll be my turn to pass that baton, but he did it with love and no resentment.”
Zoe Saldaña’s PORTER shoot and interview were completed prior to the start of the SAG-AFTRA strike.
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