Zoe Saldana-Perego is an American actress, model, and dancer. Her rise to Hollywood stardom has been a steady one, and over the years she has earned the status of a Hollywood kingdom.
Her groundbreaking role came in her portrayal of Eva Rodriguez in the dance film Centre Stage in 2002. After her screen debut on Centre Stage, Saldana starred in Crossroads alongside Britney Spears and as captain of a dance team in Drumline.
2009 was Saldana’s blockbuster year, as she was cast as Nyota Uhura in Star Trek and as Neytiri in the digital epic Avatar. Saldana confessed that she was physically, emotionally, and spiritually drained by the role of Avatar. But all that hard work paid off great at the box office because Avatar was the first movie to gross over $2 billion at the box office.
With the lead role in the epic digital film, Zoe Saldana also made it straight to the A-list of stars. Saldana is also expected to return to her role in three Avatar episodes scheduled for release in 2020 and 2021.
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The gorgeous actress and model were voted one of the 100 most beautiful people in the world for 28-year-olds in May 2007 in the People magazine’s “Beauty at Any Age” section. She was also included in Maxim magazine’s list of the 100 most beautiful women of 2008, 2010, and 2011.
Zoe Saldana Biography (Parents, Age)
Zoe Yadira Saldaña Nazario was born in Passaic, New Jersey, on June 19, 1978, the daughter of Asia Nazario and Aridio Saldaña. Her father was from the Dominican Republic and her mother is Puerto Rican. The actress also has Haitian and Lebanese descent, such an exotic combination of ancestors!
Despite her multi-ethnic background, Saldana identifies herself as black rather than Latino. This also earned her some harsh criticism when she was cast in 2016 in the leading role of the biography of Nina Simeone.
Zoe Saldana grew up in Jackson Heights Queens, New York, alongside two sisters, Cisely and Mariel Saldana, and her half-brother Nipo Saldana. Her father died at the age of 9 in a car accident. A year after Zoe’s father died, the family moved to the Dominican Republic, where they lived for seven years.
While she spent some time in her father’s home country, Zoe started performance dance and enrolled at the renowned ECOS Espacio de Danza Dance Academy, where she learned ballet and other dance forms. The dance training also provided her with the platform to start her professional acting career.
Her family then moved back to the United States at the age of 17, where she joined the FACES theatre group in Brooklyn and the New York Youth Theatre. The group’s plays dealt with topics related to young people such as drug abuse and sex. It fills young Saldana with pride to know that she has had such a profound impact on the lives of young people.
When she performed with the FACES theatre group, Saldana was discovered and recruited by a talent agency. In 1999, she made her screen debut in a single episode of Law & Order entitled “Escape” Part 2. Her years of training at the Dance Academy and her acting experience benefited her in casting the ballet dancer in the 2000 teen drama film Center Stage. One year later Saldana appeared with Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003).
2009 was a year of mega-blockbusters for Saldana, as she was cast as Nyota Uhura in the Star Trek remake and also in James Cameron’s sci-fi epic Avatar. When she was cast in the Star Trek remake, Zoe Saldana had never seen the original Star Trek series from 1966. To make up for a lost time and prepare for her character, Saldana met with Nichelle Nichols, who had played the same character in the original series.
Husband and Kids
In July 2013 the actress and the model married the Italian artist Marco Perego Saldana (née Marco Perego) in a private ceremony outside London. Marco Perego was a professional footballer before a leg injury interrupted his football career. His first solo art exhibition took place in 2007 and featured paintings that sold for up to 30,000 dollars.
The couple had only been dating for 3 months, although they had known each other for some time. Their connection is unique because Zoe took her husband’s last name, and he took hers as well. Zoe had tried to talk him out of taking her name, but the Italian insisted on defying the gender stereotype.
Zoe Saldana has three sons with her husband Marco Perego Saldana. The couple welcomed twins Cy Aridio Perego-Saldana and Bowie Ezio Perego-Saldana in Los Angeles on November 27, 2014. The sons Cy and Bowie are named after the artist Cy Twombly and the late singer David Bowie. Zoe Saldana returned to work 7 months after the birth of her twins to start shooting Star Trek: Beyond.
Two years after the birth of their twins, the couple also welcomes another son, Zen Perego-Saldana, on December 12, 2016.
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Zoe Saldana Net Worth
There are various reports on how much Zoe Saldana is currently worth. Reports range from $14 million to $20 million. Saldana must have made Saldana a huge fortune as part of the highest-paying blockbuster in history. However, she is expected to earn even more as she has booked her role in the 3 upcoming Avatar sequels.
In 2016, the Avatar star lost a whopping $8.7 million for a mansion in Beverly Hills, formerly owned by fashion king Kimora Lee Simons. The 6,332 square foot home features a two-story entrance, six bedrooms, eight bathrooms, a designer kitchen, a spacious master suite, and a huge wardrobe and dressing room.
In addition to her successful acting career, Saldana has some very juicy sponsorship deals, owns several restaurants in Washington, a soccer team called Passaic Angels and a fashion line called Zoe Saldana Seduction. This Dominican beauty has done very well.
Height, Weight
The beautiful mother of three stands at a height of 5ft 7? and weighs 115 lbs. Zoe Saldana has inherited a good physique, but she has certainly put in a lot of work to continue looking as stunning as ever.
Saldana had gained a lot of weight during her first pregnancy, which peaked at 185 lbs while carrying twins. Soon after giving birth, the Avatar star went to the gym to regain her energy. 3 months later, she appeared at the 2015 Academy Awards with a highly enviable figure.
