Zoe Saldana (pronounced /sælˈdænə/ sal-dan-ə; born June 19, 1978), stylized Zoë Saldaña and variants thereof, is an American actress of Dominican Puerto Rican origin. She had her breakthrough role in the 2000 film Center Stage, and later gained prominence for her roles as Anamaria in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Uhura in the 2009 film Star Trek, and a starring role as Neytiri in James Cameron's Avatar- the highest-grossing film of all time.
Zoe Saldana was born Zoe Yadira Saldaña Nazarioor Zoe Yadira Saldana Nazario[1] in Passaic, New Jersey, United States. Her father, Aridio Saldaña, is Dominican with indian descendents, and her mother, Asalia Nazario, is Puerto Rican.
Her first languages are English and Spanish. She spent the majority of her early childhood growing up in Queens, New York. At 10, she moved with her family to the Dominican Republic, where they lived for the next seven years. Saldana took ballet at one of the most prestigious dancing schools in the Dominican Republic. After returning to Queens at age 17, she began performing with the Faces theater troupe, which put on plays geared towards providing positive messages for teens, via themes dealing with issues such as substance abuse and sex. These performances not only gave her valuable experience but were a source of great pride, as she knew that she was making a difference in the lives of young people like herself. While performing with the Faces troupe and also the New York Youth Theater Zoe was recruited for a talent agency. Her dance training years before, coupled with her acting experience, greatly helped her land her first big screen role as Eva, the talented and headstrong ballet dancer in the 2000 film Center Stage.
Zoe Saldana GQ Magazine September 2011 |
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