She inaugurated a new phase of her career with her performance in the Oscar-nominated film Emilia Pérez.
But Zoe Saldaña is staying loyal to some of the big-budget franchises that made her a household name.
While speaking in a chat for Deadline with Pete Hammond that was released Monday, the 46-year-old actress — who won Best Supporting Actress at the BAFTAs over the weekend — looked back on the start of her commitment to James Cameron’s mega-successful Avatar franchise.
Zoe, who was only 28 when she signed on for the first Avatar film, revealed the shocking length of time she’s not committed to appearing in the series — at least according to Cameron’s estimated timetable for the remaining three sequels.
‘I think — if all goes to plan — I’m gonna be 53, 54 for the fifth and very last one,’ she said to Hammond’s amazement.
The span indicated that she would be dedicated up to 26 years to the franchise, though she will of course be able to work on plenty of projects in between filming the sequels.
Zoe Saldaña, 46, revealed the staggering number of years she will have dedicated to James Cameron’s Avatar franchise by the time it finishes with an expected fifth film during a chat with Deadline’s Pete Hammond on Monday; seen Sunday in London
Zoe, who was 28 when she began working on the first Avatar (2009; pictured) admitted she would be around 54 by the time the expected fifth film was finished
Zoe didn’t seem concerned about that time commitment, though.
She called the sci-fi world of Pandora ‘magical,’ and she said it was a ‘gift to revisit a character that has given me so much.’
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Avatar went on to become the highest-grossing film ever and it has so far earned $2.92 billion from its initial theatrical run, home video releases and a successful rerelease in theaters ahead of its sequel.
That film, Avatar: The Way Of Water, was similarly well reviewed by critics and was an unstoppable juggernaut at the box office. So far, it has brought in an astounding $2.32 billion, making it the third highest-grossing film of all time.
Zoe mentioned in the interview that some communities located in the Amazon had been able to see the film and were ‘moved’ by Cameron’s anti-colonialist story, which they felt ‘represented’ in.
The fact that Zoe will be considerably older for the Avatar sequels shouldn’t be much of an issue for her character, as it is computer generated based on motion-capture footage that Cameron shoots with his actors who play the towering blue Na’vi.
However, she worried that the toll of age might get in the way of some of her other franchises, including the rebooted Star Trek film series, in which she played Lieutenant Uhura.
When Hammond asked if there might be a fourth film in the new series — which she began filming when she was 29 — she exclaimed, ‘I hope so!’
The Guardians Of The Galaxy star will have spent an astound 26 years working on the blockbuster franchise. She called the sci-fi world of Pandora ‘magical,’ and she said it was a ‘gift to revisit a character that has given me so much’; seen in 2022 in Hollywood
When Hammond asked if there might be a fourth film in the new series — which she began filming when she was 29 — she exclaimed, ‘I hope so!’ However, she worried the cast might be robbing a younger generation of the opportunity to take over; still from Star Trek Beyond (2016)
In addition to her Avatar and Star Trek films, Zoe has also appeared in the Guardians Of The Galaxy and associated Marvel films. All together, her films have grossed $14 billion; still from Guardians Of The Galaxy (2014)
Zoe took home the BAFTA for Best Supporting Actress on Sunday, raising expectations that she might still win at the Oscars in March despite the controversy over her Emilia Pérez costar Karla Sofía Gascón’s racist and Islamophobic tweets
But Zoe also worried that the cast might be getting too old for the franchise.
‘Here’s the thing: Guys, we’re all nearing salt-and-pepper years,’ she said.
Although she was glad that age meant less than ever before when it came to interest in a project or its potential success, she worried that continuing the series this late in the game might be taking away opportunities from ‘the next generation’ of budding stars.
Zoe admitted the ‘selfish part’ of her wanted to keep doing the same fun experience over and over again, but she was also focused on ‘creating opportunities’ for others, which might be facilitated by stepping aside before the series got too stale.
In addition to her Avatar and Star Trek films, Zoe has also appeared in the Guardians Of The Galaxy and associated Marvel films.
All together, her films have grossed $14 billion, primarily from those three franchises, but Zoe made it clear that she was done with her role of Gamora.
The actress is currently nominated for the Best Supporting Actress award at the Oscars for her role in Emilia Pérez.
While the film’s hopes for Best Picture and several other awards cratered after its star Karla Sofía Gascón’s litany of racist and Islamophobic tweets resurfaced in recent weeks, Zoe may still have a solid shot at the Oscars after her recent win.