History Creator / ZoeSaldana

* WhatCouldHaveBeen:
** She was the runmer-up for the role of Comicbook/LoisLane in ''Film/ManOfSteel'' before Creator/AmyAdams was cast.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen:[[invoked]]
** Creator/HalleBerry was the first choice for her part in ''I Kill Giants'', but was considered not bankable enough.
** {{Music/Aaliyah}} turned down the part of Maggie in ''Film/GetOverIt''.
** Creator/ZackSnyder said that at some point during the casting process for ''Film/ManOfSteel'', it was down to Zoe and Creator/AmyAdams for the role of ComicBook/LoisLane. Adams got the part.
** Creator/AmandaSeyfried turned down the role of Gamora from ''Guardians of the Galaxy'' simply because she was uncomfortable with the makeup.

She is best known for playing [[GreenSkinnedSpaceBabe Green-Skinned Space Babes]]. Most famous for appearing in blockbuster sci-fi films such as ''Film/StarTrek2009'' and its sequels (''not'' as a GreenSkinnedSpaceBabe here), ''Film/{{Avatar}}'', and ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy''.

** ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy'' (2014)

** ''Ride/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyMissionBREAKOUT''[[note]]Non-canon theme park ride inspired by the MCU[[/note]] (2017)

* ActionGirl: She's played these in ''Film/TheLosers'', ''Film/{{Colombiana}}'', ''Film/{{Avatar}}'', ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy'', and even ''[[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyTheMovie2017 My Little Pony]]''... she's also easy to spot in ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanTheCurseOfTheBlackPearl'', as she's the lone female member of Jack Sparrow's crew.

** For ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy'' she had to spend three hours in the make-up chair every morning. The alcohol based make-up also resulted in strange green discharges for months. What's more is that Zoe volunteered to go through the make-up process, rather than rely on CGI or motion capture.

* GreenSkinnedSpaceBabe: The most famous modern-day example. She has played one with blue skin in ''Avatar'' and green in ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy'', leading to fans joking that she needs to play a red-skinned one to get all the primary colours in.

* MsFanservice: Her roles in ''Film/StarTrek2009'', ''Film/TheLosers'', ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy''[[note]]She originally had a scene that was ToplessnessFromTheBack, which was cut[[/note]] and especially ''Film/{{Colombiana}}''.

** In both ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy'' and ''{{Film/Colombiana}}'' she becomes an ActionGirl after her family is murdered.

Not to be confused with [[Creator/ThandiweNewton]].

* CreatorBacklash: [[invoked]] Against ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanTheCurseOfTheBlackPearl''.
** She said, "Those weren't the right people for me. I'm not talking about the cast. The cast was great. I'm talking about the political stuff that went on behind closed doors. It was a lot of above-the-line versus below-the-line, extras versus actors, producers versus P As. It was very elitist. I almost quit the business. I was 23 years old, and I was like, "Fuck this!" I am never putting myself in this situation again. People disrespecting me because they look at my number on a call sheet and they think I'm not important. Fuck you."
** "I didn't like the experience of working on Pirates and I feel that it is my job to be completely honest. To me, that's what a Hollywood movie felt like. If that's what I have to witness, and have to go through, to do a Hollywood movie, I'd rather do something else. It was just too massive. You really felt the immensity of it. Just not my taste."

** She also had to gain weight for ''Film/TheLosers''.

* MemeticBadass: Did we mention she has a starring role in ''both'' the top two box office earners ever? Once people figured that out, there were plenty of jokes about how only another movie with her stood a chance of beating either.

* OldShame: [[invoked]]
** Apparently she didn't like starring in ''Film/Crossroads2002''.
** ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanTheCurseOfTheBlackPearl'', not for the quality of the movie itself, but for personal issues she faced behind the scenes. She has said "they weren't the right people for me" and did not return for any of the sequels.
** She also expressed regret for playing Nina Simone in 2020 following the George Floyd protests, which triggered a media reckoning to try to reassess any potential racism in existing media and prevent any racially insensitive practices in the production of future media, which would include casting actors that fully match the ethnicity of the character they are playing.

* MainstreamObscurity:[[invoked]] She's appeared in [[Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse some of]] [[Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanTheCurseOfTheBlackPearl the biggest]] [[Film/StarTrek2009 franchises of]] [[{{Film/Avatar}} all time]], but your parents probably couldn't pick her out of a lineup. Perhaps due to her frequent GreenSkinnedSpaceBabe getup, or said franchises' numerous characters or maybe being Hollywood's reigning "Queen of Space" gives her little recognition [[SciFiGhetto outside the sci-fi crowd]]. The fact that she bears a striking resemblance to Creator/ThandieNewton doesn't help. She's complained that even her own mother gets them confused.

* ''Series/LawAndOrder'' (1999)

* ''[[Film/{{Crossroads|2002}}'' (2002) as Kit

* ''Series/LawAndOrderSpecialVictimsUnit'' (2004)

* ActionGirl: ''Film/TheLosers'', ''Film/{{Colombiana}}'', ''Film/{{Avatar}}'', ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy'', even ''[[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyTheMovie2017 My Little Pony]]''... she's also easy to spot in ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanTheCurseOfTheBlackPearl'', as she's the lone female member of Jack Sparrow's crew.

* ''Film/CenterStage2000'' (2000)
* ''Film/{{Drumline}}'' (2002)
* ''[[Film/Crossroads2002 Crossroads]]'' (2002)

* ''Film/TheTerminal'' (2004)
* ''Film/GuessWho'' (2005)
* ''Film/VantagePoint'' (2008)

* ''Film/TheSkeptic'' (2009)
* ''Film/TheLosers'' (2010)
* ''Film/DeathAtAFuneral'' (2010 remake)
* ''Film/{{Colombiana}}'' (2011)
* ''Film/TheWords'' (2012)

* ''WesternAnimation/TheBookOfLife'' (2014) as Maria Gabriela

* StarMakingRole:[[invoked]] It's safe to say that ''{{Film/Avatar}}'' raised her profile quite a bit.

* MainstreamObscurity:[[invoked]] She's appeared in [[Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse some of]] [[Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanTheCurseOfTheBlackPearl the biggest]] [[Film/StarTrek2009 franchises of]] [[{{Film/Avatar}} all time]], but your parents probably couldn't pick her out of a lineup. Perhaps due to her frequent GreenSkinnedSpaceBabe getup, or said franchises' LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters or maybe being Hollywood's reigning "Queen of Space" gives her little recognition [[SciFiGhetto outside the sci-fi crowd]]. The fact that she bears a striking resemblance to Creator/ThandieNewton doesn't help. She's complained that even her own mother gets them confused.

Zoe Yadira Saldaña Perego (née Saldaña Nazario, born June 19, 1978) is a Black Latina[[note]]her father is of Dominican descent and her mother is Puerto Rican[[/note]]-American actor, best known for playing [[GreenSkinnedSpaceBabe Green-Skinned Space Babes]]. Most famous for appearing in blockbuster sci-fi films such as ''Film/StarTrek2009'' and its sequels (''not'' as a GreenSkinnedSpaceBabe here), ''Film/{{Avatar}}'', and ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy''.

* ''Film/CenterStage'' (2000)

* MainstreamObscurity:[[invoked]] She's appeared in [[Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse some of]] [[Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbean the biggest]] [[Film/StarTrek2009 franchises of]] [[{{Film/Avatar}} all time]], but your parents probably couldn't pick her out of a lineup. Perhaps due to her frequent GreenSkinnedSpaceBabe getup, or said franchises' LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters or maybe being Hollywood's reigning "Queen of Space" gives her little recognition [[SciFiGhetto outside the sci-fi crowd]]. The fact that she bears a striking resemblance to Creator/ThandieNewton doesn't help. She's complained that even her own mother gets them confused.

Zoe Saldana-Perego (born Zoe Yadira Zaldaña Nazario, June 19, 1978) is a Black Latina[[note]]her father is of Dominican descent and her mother is Puerto Rican[[/note]]-American actor, best known for playing [[GreenSkinnedSpaceBabe Green-Skinned Space Babes]]. Most famous for appearing in blockbuster sci-fi films such as ''Film/StarTrek2009'' and its sequels (''not'' as a GreenSkinnedSpaceBabe here), ''Film/{{Avatar}}'', and ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy''.

Zoe Saldana-Perego (born Zoe Yadira Zaldaña Nazario, June 19, 1978) is a Black Latina [[note]]her father is of Dominican descent and her mother is Puerto Rican[[/note]] -American actor, best known for playing [[GreenSkinnedSpaceBabe Green-Skinned Space Babes]]. Most famous for appearing in blockbuster sci-fi films such as ''Film/StarTrek2009'' and its sequels (''not'' as a GreenSkinnedSpaceBabe here), ''Film/{{Avatar}}'', and ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy''.

* ButNotTooBlack: She came under controversy for her role in ''Nina'', where she wore make-up and facial prosthetics to resemble Nina Simone - who had much darker skin than her. She was notably very annoyed at the criticisms saying she wasn't black enough.

* FakeNationality:[[invoked]] She plays a Bolivian in ''Film/TheLosers''.

* IronyAsSheIsCast: Gamora claims she doesn't dance, and has to be taught how in the sequel. Zoe is a professionally trained ballerina. [[invoked]]
* MainstreamObscurity:[[invoked]] She's appeared in [[Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse some of]] [[Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbean the biggest]] [[Film/StarTrek2009 franchises of]] [[{{Film/Avatar}} all time]], but your parents probably couldn't pick her out of a lineup. Perhaps due to her frequent GreenSkinnedSpaceBabe getup, or said franchises' LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters or maybe being Hollywood's reigning "Queen of Space" gives her little recognition [[SciFiGhetto outside the sci-fi crowd]]. The fact that she bears a striking resemblence to Creator/ThandieNewton doesn't help. She's complained that even her own mother gets them confused.

* SpellMyNameWithAnS: Her name can be spelled Zoë Saldaña

* ''Film/TheAdamProject''

** She has played Diego Luna's love interest in ''Film/TheTerminal'', ''WesternAnimation/TheBookOfLife'' and ''WesternAnimation/MayaandtheThree'' .

** She has played Diego Luna's love interest in ''Film/TheTerminal'' and ''WesternAnimation/TheBookOfLife''.

* Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse as ComicBook/{{Gamora}}

* MixedAncestry: She is part Dominican and Puerto Rican, but identifies as black.

** ''Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol 3'' (TBD)

Zoe Saldana-Perego (born Zoe Yadira Zaldaña Nazario, June 19, 1978) is a Black Latina [[note]]her father is of Dominican descent and her mother is Puerto Rican[[/note]] -American actress, best known for playing [[GreenSkinnedSpaceBabe Green-Skinned Space Babes]]. Most famous for appearing in blockbuster sci-fi films such as ''Film/StarTrek2009'' and its sequels (''not'' as a GreenSkinnedSpaceBabe here), ''Film/{{Avatar}}'', and ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy''.

** She also regretted playing Nina Simone.