One of the most prolific franchise actors ever,Zoe Saldañahas made a significant name for herself through a variety of movie and television roles. She gained recognition early in her career in roles likeCenter StageandCrossroadsbefore becoming a major star in Hollywood. After appearing in a variety of small-scale projects, the actress found major success in a number of franchises, withSaldaña’s highest-grossing movieshelping to make her one of the most financially successful actors of all time.
These franchises includeStar Trek,Pirates of the Caribbean,Avatar, andGuardians of the Galaxy, a significant part ofthe MCU overall. Her strong work goes beyond franchises, too, with fantastic performances in many projects, including recent ones likeLionessandEmilia Pérez,a role thatwon Saldaña her very first Oscar. With Pixar’sElioandAvatar: Fire and Ashreleasing in 2025, Zoe Saldaña is primed for another massive year.
Premiering on Paramount +,Lionessjoins a long list ofTaylor Sheridan projects for the streamer, alongsideYellowstoneuniverse shows1883and1923.Lionessfocuses on the leader of undercover CIA operations that enlist female operatives known as Lionesses to help the war on terror. Tense and often thrilling,Lionessis a solid political action thriller that has a lot on its mind, something present in most of Sheridan’s work.
All 4 Characters Taylor Sheridan Plays In His Own TV Shows & Movies
Taylor Sheridan has given himself roles in four of the movies and TV shows he’s written, and all four of his characters highlight something unique.
Zoe Saldaña plays Joe McNamara inLioness, the CIA senior case officer who is in charge of the program.Saldaña is no stranger to strong female characters in a number of her biggest roles, and she does a tremendous job as McNamarainLioness, commanding every scene that she is in while also being vulnerable when needed. Saldaña is given a fine line to balance as the character is constantly in high-risk situations, and she excels.
Crossroads
Cast
Crossroads is a comedy-drama film by director Tamra Davis that was released in 2002. Three close friends, Lucy, Kit, and Mimi, bury a box, promising to revisit it on their graduation night, but as time passes, the trio grows distant. Deciding to honor their hopes and wishes and looking to reconnect, the girls embark on a road trip to do the things they always wanted to do - together.
Led by pop star Britney Spears,Crossroadsis often unfairly maligned or dismissed for a number of reasons, but it is actually pretty great, and showcases strong young women who are complex and well-defined. The film follows three former friends reuniting at the end of high school to go on a road trip from Georgia to Los Angeles. Over the course of the trip, these characters grow and peel back multiple layers, getting to who they really are, and the subject matter is handled with empathy and wit.
Appearing in Crossroads just a couple of years after she made her feature film debut,Zoe Saldaña gained wider recognition for her role as Kit in the film, the popular girl in the school who used to be best friends with Britney Spears' Lucy Wagner and Taryn Manning’s Mimi. Saldaña’s chemistry with her co-stars is one of the movie’s biggest strengths, and she slowly reveals there is more to the seemingly superficial Kit, adding to the complexity of the character.
The Book of Life
In the Mexican town of San Angel, two young men are competing for the affection of their childhood friend Maria — but Xibalba, the mythical ruler of the Land of the Forgotten, interferes in their affairs in an attempt to win a bet with his wife.
Following a bullfighter who embarks on an adventure into the afterlife on the Day of the Dead to fulfill the expectations his friends and family have for him,The Book of Lifeis a gorgeously animated film that explores the Mexican holiday and culture, love, family, and death. It’s often poignant and always beautiful to look at, even if the film’s narrative doesn’t always hit the same high marks its animation delivers.
The character is so much more than that, though, as she is courageous, passionate, independent, and free-willed.
Zoe Saldaña has voice acted in several roles, but her best performance in animation might just be inThe Book of Life, where she plays María Posada, best friend and mutual love interest to both Diego Luna’s Manolo Sánchez and Channing Tatum’s Joaquín Mondragon Jr. The character is so much more than that, though, as she is courageous, passionate, independent, and free-willed,with a lot of her personality shining through in Saldaña’s voice-acting performance. Knowing kung fu and fencing, María Posada is no damsel in distress.
Released on Netflix,From Scratchexplores the relationship between an artist and a chef after they meet in Italy and eventually move to Los Angeles. A romantic drama,From Scratchis a fantastic miniseriesthat dives into each character’s hopes and dreams while navigating the ups and downs of their unfolding relationship. It is based on Tembi Locke’s fantastic memoir of the same name.
Zoe Saldaña doesn’t do a ton of television, appearing in a few roles here or there, but when she does have a significant role in a show, she does an incredible job. This also goes forFrom Scratch, where she plays Amy, an artist who travels to Italy for an art program but is torn between her dreams and her father’s expectations.Saldaña is easily the best part ofFrom Scratch, and she gives Amy so much depth, with her emotional acting always being a highlight in her performances.
Center Stage
Center Stage follows twelve teenagers from diverse backgrounds who enroll at the American Ballet Academy in New York. As they pursue their dreams of becoming ballet dancers, they navigate the challenges and pressures of intense training and ambition within the competitive world of dance.
Released in 2000,Center Stagefollows a group of young dancers from a variety of backgrounds after they get admitted to the American Ballet Academy in New York City. The film explores the physical, emotional, and mental toll the rigorous program places on them while also featuring some incredible dance sequences and some romance along the way.
Center Stagewas actually the first film role of Zoe Saldaña’s career, as she only had one episode ofLaw & Orderto her name before that. She plays Eva Rodriguez, a dancer at the American Ballet Academy. Eva isn’t afraid to speak her mind, often coming to the defense of herself and the other dancers. It’s obvious from the outset of her career that Saldaña was going to be a major star in Hollywood, andCenter Stageperfectly demonstrates the talent she had at the very beginning.
Star Trek
J.J. Abrams' 2009 movie Star Trek rebooted the iconic sci-fi franchise in a totally new timeline. When a Romulan ship travels back in time and alters the past, the lives of James T. Kirk (Chris Pine), Spock (Zachary Quinto), and the future crew of the USS Enterprise are drastically changed. In this new timeline, the Romulan Nero (Eric Bana) sets out for revenge on Spock, setting off a chain of events that reshape the entire universe.
Following the failure ofStar Trek: Nemesis, the film side of the long-running franchise was rebooted in 2009 withStar Trek. Directed by J.J. Abrams,Star Trekfeatured brand-new versions of the original characters and used time travel as a narrative tool to explain the reboot, marking the official start of the Kelvin Timeline of films that were last seen in 2016’sStar Trek: Beyond.Star Trekwas filled with action-packed sci-fi spectacle, and although that deterred some long-time Trekkies, it produced an awesome film that truly felt like its own thing in the franchise.
This list essentially groups Zoe Saldaña’s roles in a particular franchise into one ranking to give more variety overall.
Zoe Saldaña has had significant roles in a number of major franchises, and one of her earliest wasStar Trek, whereshe plays the iconic Nyota Uhura, the translator and communications officer aboard the Starship Enterprise. Taking no nonsense from anyone, especially Kirk, Uhura is a strong-willed character that has significant moments throughout all three films in the Kelvin timeline. With her dating Spock,Uhura is also shown to be vulnerable and loving, and Saldaña balances both sides of her character perfectly.
Based on a ride at Disneyland, it was unclear what to expect fromPirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. But the film was a massive success, launching one of the most financially successful franchises of all time, and Captain Jack Sparrow arguably became the greatest character Johnny Depp has ever played. Leaning fully into being a swashbuckling pirate adventure and accompanied by one of Hans Zimmer’s best musical works,Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearlis a modern-day classic.
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearlwas actually Zoe Saldaña’s first foray into a major franchise, though it wasn’t guaranteed at the time that it would turn out to be one. She plays Anamaria in the movie, a smuggler and pirate who has had multiple run-ins with Jack Sparrow, who actually stole her boat, before she joined him to help crew the Interceptor. Saldaña is perfect as a pirate and, Anamaria is one of the fiercest members of the crew.
Emilia Perez
Emilia Perez is a drama film that follows the life of Emilia Perez, a determined and ambitious individual striving to make a name for herself in a competitive environment. The story explores her journey as she navigates the challenges and obstacles that come her way, all while uncovering the complexities of her own identity.
Focusing on a former drug cartel leader who transitions into being who they always were,Emilia Pérezfocuses on the aftermath of that decision, and the issue of missing women within Mexico, as the titular character focuses her efforts on setting up a foundation to find as many as she can in an attempt to atone for her past. Brimming with a variety of bold stylistic choices in music, cinematography, and acting,Emilia Pérezis unique and often beautiful to look at.
The Zoe Saldaña-led “El Mal” also won Best Original Song at the Academy Awards.
Though the film was largely divisive overall, the common ground between most is the fact that Zoe Saldaña was the best part of it, turning out one of the best performances of her career. She plays Rita Mora Castro in the movie, a lawyer tasked with helping a cartel leader transition into a woman. Saldaña brings a lot of depth to the character and is the best part of each musical scene that she is in. In fact,her performance as Rita Castro earned her an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Avatar: The Way of Water
Avatar: The Way of Water, set more than a decade after the original film, follows the Sully family as they face threats to their survival. With Jake and Neytiri at the helm, they strive to protect their children while combating external perils and confronting personal losses.
Releasing 13 years afterAvatarcame out,Avatar: The Way of Waterwas tasked with following up the highest-grossing movie of all time, and it rose to the occasion. James Cameron crafted a sprawling, ocean-based epic that features some of the greatest CGI the industry has ever seen. It’s gorgeous, tragic, earnest, and unbelievably cool. Despite many online arguments about the cultural impact ofAvatarover the past decade,Avatar: The Way of Waterstill managed to become the third highest-grossing movie of all time.
James Cameron crafted a sprawling, ocean-based epic that features some of the greatest CGI the industry has ever seen.
In terms of the pure emotion that Zoe Saldaña is able to draw out in her performance despite being entirely motion-capture,Avatar: The Way of Wateris one of the best of her career. Neytiri may not have been given as much narrative significance as she had inAvatar, but the grief and rage she showed during massive moments in the film are some that stand out the most, and Saldaña nails everything she is asked to do, giving an impressive, monumental performance. In fact, bothAvatarandAvatar: The Way of Watercould be lumped together here.
Guardians of the Galaxy
Guardians of the Galaxy is part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, featuring Chris Pratt as Peter Quill. Abducted from Earth as a child, Quill navigates intergalactic adventures, becoming entwined in a conflict centered on a powerful orb coveted by Ronan the Accuser.
At the time,Guardians of the Galaxywas the boldest move that Marvel Studios could make as the MCU was really taking off following the success ofThe Avengersand the movies that came after. Releasing between Captain America: The Winter SoldierandAvengers: Age of Ultron,Guardians of the Galaxywas the MCU’s first film to truly explore the galaxy, featuring a rag-tag group of heroes so well-defined and likable, that they would become some of Marvel Studios' most iconic characters.
Zoe Saldana Addresses Gamora’s MCU Future & Suggests How Marvel Should Recast Her: “I Hope They’re Not Done With Her”
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 star Zoe Saldaña confirms she won’t return as Gamora and advocates for her MCU character’s eventual recasting.
WhileGuardians of the Galaxystarted it all for Zoe Saldaña as Gamora, her work across the MCU as a whole is to be celebrated, especially the entirety of theGuardians of the Galaxytrilogy. As the adopted daughter of Thanos, Gamora had an extremely rough exterior, but each movie slowly chipped away at who she was and how big her heart actually was.Zoe Saldañais magnificent as Gamora, particularly inGuardians of the GalaxyandGuardians of the Galaxy Vol 2.
