Zoe Saldaña's 'Star Trek' role has a James Cameron connection
Zoe Saldaña, one of the most popular actors in the sci-fi genre, recently opened up about her fears of being typecast for appearing in so many sci-fi films. The actor has appeared in a number of big-budget sci-fi films such as James Cameron's Avatar, JJ Abrams's Star Trek reboot series, and James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy. However, she credits getting one of these roles to Cameron.
Her journey from 'Avatar' to 'Star Trek'
At a recent event at the BFI London Film Festival, Saldaña remembered Abrams visiting the Avatar set while he was casting for Star Trek. She recounted, "He and Jim were talking, and they come to set, and Jim lets him hold his little camera that he built." "And I remember talking to JJ, and he's like, 'I'm going to call you... And then he walks away. And Jim comes over and goes, 'I just booked your next job.'"
Saldaña's apprehensions about 'Guardians of the Galaxy'
Addtionally, Saldaña confessed she was apprehensive before signing up for Guardians of the Galaxy, fearing it would get her typecast. "I went into Guardians with a lot of fear... it would have been my third round in the universe, and I guess my team was worried for me." But she was lured by the script's unique take on an anti-hero who reluctantly saves the day.
Spielberg 'restored' her faith in the film industry
Saldaña also opened up about a tough experience she had on the set of Pirates of the Caribbean, helmed by Gore Verbinski. She said if key players like studio executives, producers, and directors don't promote kindness and consideration, it can become a "really bad" experience. However, her faith in the industry was restored when she worked with Steven Spielberg on The Terminal eight months later. The actor recently starred in Emilia Pérez.
