In Conversation With... Zoe Saldaña

Zoe Saldaña brings a commanding presence to each and every role. She first appeared as part of the ballet ensemble in Center Stage (2000) and as Anamaria in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003). Her performance as Nyota Uhura in J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek (2009) ― a role she inherited from Nichelle Nichols and reprised in the sequels Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) and Star Trek Beyond (2016) ― elevated her career to new heights. But it was her starring role as Neytiri in James Cameron’s groundbreaking Avatar (2009) — the highest-grossing film of all time — which solidified her status as a leading actress in Hollywood. You might expect that Avatar and the 2022 sequel Avatar: The Way of the Water (2022) would be her best-known work, but it’s her turn as Gamora, a fierce warrior with a complex moral code, across five films within Marvel’s Avengers universe, which shot her to superstardom and has seen her reign supreme at the box office. Most recently, Saldaña lead Marco Perego’s independent film The Absence of Eden (2024) and currently stars in the drama series Lioness for Paramount+ ― both of which she executive produced with her production company Cinestar Pictures ― among many other projects. At this year’s Festival, the multi-talented Saldaña showcases her remarkable range with an utterly gripping performance as a lawyer who receives an unexpected request from a cartel leader in Jacques Audiard’s highly anticipated Emilia Pérez. In this intimate conversation, Saldaña reflects on her career journey and this exciting new role, for which she, along with her co-stars, received the Cannes Best Actress Award.