Introduction
Zoë Yadira Saldana was born June 19, 1978 in Passaic NJ to a Puerto
Rican mother and Dominican father. Her family relocated to the Dominican
Republic when she was ten years old. There she practiced ballet at one
of the most pretigious dance schools in the country. Saldana returned
to New York at age 17, where she began involving herself in theatre
groups such as Faces and the New York YouthTheatre. Her ballet
training helped land her first on screen part as Eva in the dance film,
Center Stage (2000). The actress’ career continued to flourish
with roles in Pirates of The Caribbean: The Curse of the Black
Pearl (2003) with Johnny Depp, The Terminal (2004) starring
Tom Hanks, and Guess Who (2005) opposite Ashton Kutcher.
Saldana continues to act and model with editorial features in Elle,
Vanity Fair, V, GQ Italia, Glamour, and Nylon.
Career Highlights
Saldana’s career climbed to new heights in 2009 when she played Uhura in Star Trek. She officially joined the A-list with her groundbreaking role as Neytiri, the Na’vi princess, in James Cameron’s Avatar (2009). Saldana brought her fictional character to life through motion capture technology. This visual effects fueled film has revolutionized the movie industry.
Personal Life
Saldana continues to frequent the Dominican Republic and has two sisters, Cisely and Mariel, who appeared wtih her in a 2007 Gap advertisement.
Currently
Saldana has become a fashion icon with the help of her stylist Petra Flannery. She’s frequently spotted front row at fashion weeks around the globe and remains impressive on the red carpet. Saldana continues to seek roles that challenge her as a woman and as an artist. She has also become a pioneer in digital media as a founding partner and investor in both Juggernaut Investments and MyFDB.com.
