If Hollywood held a popularity contest for science fiction queens, Zoe Saldana would most definitely snag the crown. From dancing on stage in Center Stage to running wild as Neytiri in Avatar, and then hitting cosmic highways as Gamora in Guardians of the Galaxy, Saldana’s career feels like a science fiction binge worth every minute. Her movies have collectively grossed a jaw-dropping 15 billion dollars worldwide. 

Behind the blockbuster bazaar, Zoe Saldana’s craft clicks effortlessly into award-winning gear, snagging an Academy Award recently for Emilia Pérez (2024). This is a woman who can go from hero to human with the flick of a role. As of 2025, she is teasing the public with roles on streaming platforms and even acting as executive producer, proving she is not just following scripts but writing her own Hollywood rules.

Zoe Saldana’s roots stretch all over the map. She was born in Passaic, New Jersey, on June 19, 1978, and raised primarily in Queens, New York. by a Dominican father and Puerto Rican mother, Saldana had the kind of childhood that builds character and bilingual banter aplenty. Amidst the budding life, losing her father in a tragic car accident when she was only nine sent her and her sisters back to the Dominican Republic, where ballet barre and dance studios became her new playground. The early grind on toes at the ECOS Espacio de Danza Academy, studying forms of dance and technique, explains why she moves through action scenes with poetic grace.

Saldana relocated back to the States, New York City, by the age of seventeen. Here, the actress channelled her energy into youth theatre groups that tackled tough subjects. It was here that the future actress’s artistry, determination, and social consciousness coalesced, setting the stage for that leap to the silver screen.

Zoe Saldana is 47 years old in 2025, standing at a striking 5 feet 7 inches and keeping fit at 119 pounds, which could be attributed to all those years of ballet and early discipline. Her heritage is a vibrant cocktail of Dominican, Puerto Rican, Lebanese, and Haitian influences, a cultural blend as dazzling as her film roles. 

Bilingual at home and in spirit, Saldana brings authentic Latinx flair to Hollywood’s often monochrome palette, showing us why diversity is not just a buzzword but a superpower. In 2025, Saldana made history as the first American actress of Dominican descent to win an Academy Award, for her role in Emilia Pérez. In her acceptance speech, she paid tribute to her immigrant family and the cultural legacy they represent, highlighting the importance of telling stories in Spanish and celebrating Latin heritage.

During her teenage years at Newtown High School in Queens, Zoe Saldana was already demonstrating star power in the theatre groups Faces and New York Youth Theatre. By 1995, Saldana was tackling plays with serious themes like substance abuse and whatnot, developing a knack for turning social commentary into gripping performances, a skill that would serve her well in blockbuster and indie gigs alike. It was while she was playing her part in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamboat that she was recruited by an agency, eventually landing her first Silver screen mark with Center Stage in 2000.

Zoe Saldana began her on-screen career in 1999 with a guest role on Law & Order before her first film role as Eva Rodriguez, a ballet dancer, in Center Stage (2000). Early roles included Crossroads (2002) and Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) as Anamaria. She rose to mainstream fame in 2009 with two iconic roles: Lieutenant Uhura in the Star Trek reboot and Neytiri in James Cameron’s Avatar, groundbreaking for its motion-capture technology.

She portrayed Gamora in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Guardians of the Galaxy series (2014–2023) and appeared in major films like The Adam Project (2022) and Netflix’s From Scratch (2022). In 2023, she starred in Paramount+’s spy thriller series Special Ops: Lioness and in 2024 won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Emilia Pérez, where she played a Mexican lawyer in a musical crime drama.

Saldana’s career showcases versatility, blending blockbuster action, sci-fi, drama, and voice acting. Other notable films include Colombiana (2011), Death at a Funeral (2010), and the TV miniseries Rosemary’s Baby (2014). She continually breaks barriers and remains one of Hollywood’s highest-grossing actresses.

Reflecting a career that rockets past mere acting paychecks, Zoe Saldana’s estimated earnings hit a jaw-dropping 60 million dollars as of 2025. Not just a pretty face in blockbusters, her savvy has seen her dive into endorsements, production, and real estate.

Despite her films collectively grossing over $14 billion worldwide, her salary, starting around $4 million for the original Avatar film, grew substantially through sequels and Marvel contracts, reportedly reaching upwards of $8 million for Avatar: The Way of Water and over $11 million for later Marvel blockbusters. 

Having met in London and married within three months in 2013, Marco Perego-Saldana is the Italian artist turned devoted husband that Zoe Saldana-Perego flaunts having the name of at the tail-end of hers. The family has been spotted keeping their family life stylishly private but creatively loud, raising three boys while balancing their artistic careers. With little things like shifting to an all-gluten-free diet to exchanging surnames and not just rings, the Saldana-Peregos have created for themselves a legacy of family life that promises companionship unmatched in the showbiz industry. 

Zoe Saldana and her husband Marco Perego-Saldana have three sons: twins Cy Aridio and Bowie Ezio, born on November 27, 2014, via emergency C-section, and their younger son Zen Anton Hilario, born on December 12, 2016. The family is known to keep their children out of the public spotlight as much as possible, valuing their privacy. But that never means not sharing spotlights when deserved. The family occasionally appears together at events; for instance, they joined the actress on the red carpet at the 2025 Santa Barbara International Film Festival and the premiere of Emilia Pérez in Italy. Saldana often shares loving and candid moments with her children on social media,

Zoe Saldana has spoken openly about raising her boys bilingually in Italian, Spanish, and English. Her husband is Italian, and with Saldana’s own Dominican and Puerto Rican heritage, the boys are fluent in all three languages and choose which language to speak depending on the family member. The actress has emphasized the importance of nurturing kind, compassionate boys and rejecting traditional gender stereotypes about parental roles, aiming to raise respectful men regardless of gender norms.

The twins Cy and Bowie are famously inseparable, sharing many milestones in sync, while Zen, being younger, holds his own and loves to keep up with his brothers. Saldana describes motherhood as a humbling and joyful journey, expressing admiration for her sons' individual natures and the lessons parenting boys has taught her and Perego.

Zoe Saldana’s parents are Aridio Saldaña and Asalia Nazario. Her father, Aridio Saldana, was Dominican, and her mother, Asalia Nazario, is of Puerto Rican descent, with mixed Dominican lineage. Saldana unabashedly credits her parents for instilling in her a strong work ethic and an even stronger sense of self-confidence. 

Tragically, Saldana’s biological father died in a car accident early in the actress’s life.. Following this, Saldana and her two sisters were sent to live with relatives in the Dominican Republic while their mother stayed in New York to work multiple jobs to support the family. Zoe Saldana has often spoken about the sacrifices her mother made to give her daughters a better life, describing her mother as an inspiration and hero who kept the family strong through difficult times.

Asalia Nazario later married Dagoberto Galán, who became a father figure to her three daughters and whom they consider fully their father. Zoe Saldana has expressed deep respect and love for her extended family and the values they imparted, which helped shape her resilience, ambition, and cultural pride. The family has remained close-knit, with Saldana and her sisters even founding a production company, Cinestar Pictures, to tell diverse and female-centered stories inspired by their upbringing.

Zoe Saldana has two sisters: Mariel Saldaña Nazario and Cisely Saldaña. The three sisters share a close bond and work closely together as business partners. Their 2013 brainchild, Cinestar Pictures, is almost a manifestation of their strong-shared bond in the form of a production company dedicated to creating content that celebrates and educates diverse audiences, especially Latinx stories and female-driven narratives.

Mariel Saldana is the oldest sister and has been described by Zoe Saldana and Cisely Saldana as a mother figure within their sibling dynamic. She has been described to be mature, present, and nurturing, providing guidance and support to her younger sisters. Zoe Saldana has praised her elder sister for her ability to help her stay grounded and focused.

The end of train is commanded by Cisely Saldana is the youngest sister, who is characterized as fiercely loyal, creative, and intuitive. She has often been tagged as "the baby and the boss," known for her stubbornness but also her strong instincts. Cisely Saldana has been actively involved in motherhood discussions alongside her actress sister through their production company’s YouTube content.

Zoe Saldana and her sisters attend industry events together and maintain a supportive relationship, balancing family life with their joint professional ventures. They frequently collaborate on projects that highlight empowerment and community, making their familial relationship both personal and professional.

Zoe Saldana’s steep net worth of an estimated $60 million primarily derives from her starring roles in some of the highest-grossing films of all time, including Avatar and Avengers: Endgame. She made around $4 million for the original Avatar movie in 2009, with backend bonuses adding much more as the film became a box office sensation. For Avatar: The Way of Water (2022), her salary reportedly increased to $8 million, while her pay for Marvel films like Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame rose from about $100,000 for earlier roles to $11 million for the latter.

Beyond acting, Zoe Saldana’s income is supplemented by endorsements with major brands such as Nike, Avon, and L’Oréal. She is also co-founder of the production company Cinestar Pictures and media company BESE Media, adding entrepreneurial revenue streams. Real estate investments, including a grand, $17.5 million worth, Spanish historic estate in Montecito, California, contribute further to her financial portfolio.

Zoe Saldana’s awards and achievements highlight a remarkable and influential career in Hollywood. In 2025, she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Emilia Pérez, becoming the first American actress of Dominican descent to win an Oscar. Her accolade-roster extends far beyond the Academy with the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture and the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for the same film. She also won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role and shared the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress with her co-stars.

Throughout her career, Saldana has amassed a total of 52 wins and 121 nominations. Early recognition came from her 2009 film Star Trek, earning nominations including BET and Black Reel awards. Her portrayal of Gamora across the Marvel Cinematic Universe brought multiple Critics’ Choice and Saturn Award nominations. In 2011, she won the ALMA Award for Colombiana and has been nominated several times for NAACP Image Awards, MTV Movie & TV Awards, and Satellite Awards. Her recent television work earned her a Critics' Choice Super Award in 2024 for Special Ops: Lioness and a nomination in 2025. Additionally, Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2023, recognizing her impact beyond acting. 

Being deeply involved in philanthropy, Zoe Saldana supports several charities and causes focused on critical social issues, ranging from children’s welfare, civil rights to mental health. Key charities with her support account for Baby2Baby, the Children’s Defense Fund, EB Medical Research Foundation, H.E.L.P. Malawi, Los Angeles Mission, and The Trevor Project. 

She has participated in numerous charity events and fundraisers to support these causes, underscoring her commitment to aiding vulnerable communities, including homeless individuals and children in poverty.In 2021, Saldana received the prestigious Andrea Bocelli Humanitarian Award for her philanthropic work. Saldana is also actively engaged in raising awareness and funds for healthcare access, education, and social justice programs worldwide. 

Zoe Saldana sold her Beverly Hills mansion in 2024 for $10 million, which was $5 million less than the original asking price of $16.5 million. The Colonial Revival-style home is located in the gated Hidden Valley Estates neighborhood, known for its privacy and celebrity residents. The property was purchased by Zoe in 2016 for $8.7 million. The house features five bedrooms and seven bathrooms, spread over roughly 6,000 square feet on about 0.6 acres.It boasts custom wood and imported stone finishes, a home theater, gym, large family room opening to a terrace, and high-end kitchen. After selling this home, Zoe currently resides near Montecito, California, in a new residence she acquired for $17.5 million.

Zoe Saldana’s car collection, valued at around $493,000, includes a blend of luxury SUVs and high-performance vehicles that balance style and daily functionality. Highlights include the Audi Q7, a spacious SUV perfect for everyday driving; the Cadillac Escalade, known for its lavish interior and power; and the Audi A8, a luxury sedan praised for elegance and safety. For off-road adventures, she owns a Mercedes-Benz G550 with formidable terrain capabilities. The crown jewel is the Audi R8 supercar, boasting a 602-horsepower V10 engine, accelerating 0-60 mph in just over three seconds, blending precision and luxury.