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It has been 23 years since Zoe Saldaña made her film debut with “Center Stage,” since then, she has done nothing but accumulate success after success. The 45-year-old actress has forged an impeccable career in Hollywood and is currently one of the most prominent Latinas in the American film industry. Her achievements continue to pile up, as in 2023, she premiered the movie “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” and the series “Special Ops: Lioness” (Paramount+) alongside Nicole Kidman. She also has several upcoming projects.
The actress, of Puerto Rican and Dominican descent, is a clear example that talent and determination are the keys to success.
© GettyImagesBorn to a Puerto Rican mother and a Dominican father, Saldana spent her early years in New York. However, when she was ten years old, her life took a turn with her father’s death, and she moved to the Dominican Republic. After training in ballet and modern dance, Zoe returned to the Big Apple to study and pursue acting.
Her beginnings were challenging. She worked at a fast-food chain to make ends meet. She started her career in theatre, and when her first opportunity on screen came, it was not for a movie or TV series but in a commercial for a hamburger brand. However, her dance training and acting experience helped her secure her first leading role in 2000 in the movie “Center Stage,” where she portrayed a dancer named Eva.
© GettyImagesAfter that movie, her talent opened doors for her. She appeared in many successful films, sharing the screen with big stars in productions such as “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl” (2003) and “The Terminal” (2004) starring Tom Hanks, as well as “Star Trek” (2008).
Today, Zoe has acted in four of the six highest-grossing films in history. The latest of these is “Avatar: The Way of Water” (2022), preceded by the first part of “Avatar” (2009), “Avengers: Infinity War” (2018), and “Avengers: Endgame” (2019) — the other two on the list are “Titanic” (1997) and “Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens” (2015).
