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'''Zoë Saldana''' {{born|19|June|1978}} is an American actress and model who plays {{alt|Nyota Uhura}} in {{film|11}}. She took over the role from [[Nichelle Nichols]], who played the role on ''[[Star Trek: The Original Series]]'', ''[[Star Trek: The Animated Series]]'', and six [[Star Trek films|feature films]]. |
'''Zoë Saldana''' {{born|19|June|1978}} is an American actress and model who plays {{alt|Nyota Uhura}} in {{film|11}}. She took over the role from [[Nichelle Nichols]], who played the role on ''[[Star Trek: The Original Series]]'', ''[[Star Trek: The Animated Series]]'', and six [[Star Trek films|feature films]]. |
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| + | In addition to playing Uhura, Saldana is known for her role as Na'vi princess Neytiri in {{w|James Cameron}}'s science fiction epic ''Avatar'', which is currently the highest-grossing film of all time. She is also known for her work in such films as ''Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl'', ''Drumline'', ''The Terminal'', ''Guess Who'', and ''Vantage Point''. |
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== Early life and career == |
== Early life and career == |
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Her subsequent film credits include ''Dirty Deeds'' with [[Michael Bofshever]], ''Premium'' with [[William Sadler]], ''Ways of the Flesh'' with [[Irene Tsu]], and ''Blackout'' with [[Saul Rubinek]]. In 2008, she appeared in the thriller ''Vanatage Point'', which also featured [[Bruce McGill]]. The following year, she starred in another thriller, ''The Skeptic'', in which she played a psychic. |
Her subsequent film credits include ''Dirty Deeds'' with [[Michael Bofshever]], ''Premium'' with [[William Sadler]], ''Ways of the Flesh'' with [[Irene Tsu]], and ''Blackout'' with [[Saul Rubinek]]. In 2008, she appeared in the thriller ''Vanatage Point'', which also featured [[Bruce McGill]]. The following year, she starred in another thriller, ''The Skeptic'', in which she played a psychic. |
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| − | Saldana was working on |
+ | Saldana was working on James Cameron's blockbuster film ''Avatar'' when Abrams offered her ''Star Trek''. Because she was already committed to a project and had a "lack of knowledge about ''Star Trek''," Saldana was reluctant to accept the role of Uhura. Despite the scheduling issues it would cause, Cameron insisted that Saldana take the role, even going so far as to invite Abrams to the set to discuss the situation. [http://trekmovie.com/2008/08/25/saldana-needed-some-convincing-to-take-on-uhura/] |
| − | After finishing ''Star Trek'', Saldana completed her work on ''Avatar'', in which she starred as a Na'vi woman named Neytiri, a completely computer-generated character. [[Scott Lawrence]] and [[Peter Mensah]] also had roles in the film. Released in December 2009, ''Avatar'' is now the highest-grossing movie in the |
+ | After finishing ''Star Trek'', Saldana completed her work on ''Avatar'', in which she starred as a Na'vi woman named Neytiri, a completely computer-generated character. [[Scott Lawrence]] and [[Peter Mensah]] also had roles in the film, while [[James Horner]] composed the score. Released in December 2009, ''Avatar'' is now the highest-grossing movie in the world (not accounting for inflation). Saldana has signed on to appear in any potential sequels to the film [http://www.comingsoon.net/news/avatarnews.php?id=18318]. In 2010, she received a [[Saturn Award]] nomination for Best Actress for her performance in ''Avatar''. [http://www.saturnawards.org/nominations.html] |
=== Upcoming films === |
=== Upcoming films === |
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Revision as of 09:23, 25 February 2010
Template:Realworld Zoë Saldana (born 19 June 1978; age 45) is an American actress and model who plays Nyota Uhura in Star Trek. She took over the role from Nichelle Nichols, who played the role on Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: The Animated Series, and six feature films.
In addition to playing Uhura, Saldana is known for her role as Na'vi princess Neytiri in James Cameron's science fiction epic Avatar, which is currently the highest-grossing film of all time. She is also known for her work in such films as Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Drumline, The Terminal, Guess Who, and Vantage Point.
Early life and career
Saldana was born Zoë Yadira Zaldaña Nazario in New Jersey to immigrants from the Dominican Republic and raised in Queens, New York. After her father's death in a car accident when she was nine, Saldana and her sisters moved with their mother to the Dominican Republic.
While in the Republic, Saldana took ballet lessons. She ultimately returned to the United States and joined the Faces Theater Program in Brooklyn, New York. While there, she won an uncredited appearance in a 1999 episode of Law & Order, the long-running NBC series executive produced by Rene Balcer. She left the Faces program after making her feature film debut in the 2000 musical drama Center Stage, co-starring Star Trek: Insurrection actress Donna Murphy.
Film work
2000-2004
J.J. Abrams directing Saldana on the set of Star Trek.
Following Center Stage, Saldana worked alongside Kirsten Dunst in the 2001 high school comedy Get Over It. She then acted with Kim Cattrall in 2002's Crossroads. That same year, she played the female lead in the musical romantic comedy Drumline, for which she shared an MTV Movie Award nomination for Best Kiss with her co-star Nick Cannon.
Saldana next appeared as Anamarie in Disney's 2003 summer blockbuster Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (with Lee Arenberg, Greg Ellis and Guy Siner). She then had a supporting role in Steven Spielberg's 2004 comic drama The Terminal, in which she played an airport immigration officer who happened to be a devout Trekkie. Jude Ciccolella and Michael Nouri also had roles in this film.
2005-2009
Saldana with Nichelle Nichols, the original Nyota Uhura, on the set of Star Trek
In the 2005 independent film Constellation, Saldana played the daughter of Clarence Williams III's character and also co-starred with fellow Star Trek players David Clennon, Alec Newman, and Gabrielle Union. Later, Saldana starred in the 2005 comedy Guess Who (co-starring Robert Curtis Brown) as an African-American woman who brings home a white fiancé. This role earned her nominations from at least four different organizations: the Black Movie Awards, the Black Reel Awards, the Image Awards, and the Teen Choice Awards.
Her subsequent film credits include Dirty Deeds with Michael Bofshever, Premium with William Sadler, Ways of the Flesh with Irene Tsu, and Blackout with Saul Rubinek. In 2008, she appeared in the thriller Vanatage Point, which also featured Bruce McGill. The following year, she starred in another thriller, The Skeptic, in which she played a psychic.
Saldana was working on James Cameron's blockbuster film Avatar when Abrams offered her Star Trek. Because she was already committed to a project and had a "lack of knowledge about Star Trek," Saldana was reluctant to accept the role of Uhura. Despite the scheduling issues it would cause, Cameron insisted that Saldana take the role, even going so far as to invite Abrams to the set to discuss the situation. [1]
After finishing Star Trek, Saldana completed her work on Avatar, in which she starred as a Na'vi woman named Neytiri, a completely computer-generated character. Scott Lawrence and Peter Mensah also had roles in the film, while James Horner composed the score. Released in December 2009, Avatar is now the highest-grossing movie in the world (not accounting for inflation). Saldana has signed on to appear in any potential sequels to the film [2]. In 2010, she received a Saturn Award nomination for Best Actress for her performance in Avatar. [3]
Upcoming films
Saldana will next be seen opposite Star Trek: Enterprise guest star Jeffrey Dean Morgan, a film adaptation of the comic books published by DC Comics' Vertigo imprint. Her other upcoming films include the comedies Burning Palms (which co-stars Tom Wright) and Death at a Funeral (which also features Ron Glass).
Television
Following her appearance on Law & Order, Saldana guest-starred in a 2004 episode of its spin-off series, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. In 2006, Saldana worked with Star Trek director and producer J.J. Abrams and executive producer Bryan Burk for the first time when she had a recurring role on the short-lived television series Six Degrees.
On 22 January 2010, Saldana participated in the fund-raising program Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief. She was among the celebrities who operated the phones for the benefit, along with her Star Trek co-stars Tyler Perry and Chris Pine, Star Trek: Voyager actress Jeri Ryan, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country actor Christian Slater, and Robin Williams.[4]
External links
- ZoeSaldana.com - official web site
- Zoë Saldana at Wikipedia
- Template:IMDb-link