Zoe Salda?a on Wanting to Direct Her First Movie, ‘Avatar 3′ and Urging the Oscars to Award Motion Capture Acting: ‘It’s Like Theater’
Zoe Salda?a has spent decades at the center of some of the biggest cinematic franchises in history. Yet, her recent Oscar nomination for “Emilia Pérez” has marked a new career chapter. From the motion-capture world of “Avatar” to the high-stakes battles of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Salda?a has built a legacy as an action star. Now, she’s looking ahead to more personal creative pursuits, such as directing, exploring Latin American cuisine on screen, and, even watching more Mets games.
“I never imagined this moment,” Salda?a told Variety of her Oscar nomination for “Emilia Pérez. “After a while, I stopped imagining it. That has to do with my simple background. Whenever something beautiful happens, we are grateful and tell ourselves, ‘How dare you ask for more?’ But deep down, I always wanted this.”
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For nearly two decades, Salda?a has embodied Neytiri, the fierce and loyal Na’vi warrior in James Cameron’s “Avatar” saga. With “Avatar: The Way of Water” ending in heartbreak for the Sully family, Salda?a hints that the upcoming 2025 third installment, “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” will be an even more emotional ride.
“It’s going to be an emotional roller coaster,” she says. “The way ‘The Way of Water’ ended was unimaginably painful for the Sully family. Now, they have to make really strong decisions. Do they stay united and find common ground, or do they go their separate ways? And God knows what’s going to happen to the existing children.”
While Salda?a remains tight-lipped about major plot points (understandable, given Cameron’s secrecy), she emphasizes how much the story resonates with current global issues.
“Jim [Cameron] is going to continue to carry on themes that are so relevant today,” she shares. “That’s one of the reasons why I love working with directors like him. They use their art to raise important conversations.”
Suppose Salda?a wins the Academy Award for best supporting actress. In that case, she will be only the third Latina in history to win an acting Oscar — the first who wasn’t playing the role of Anita in “West Side Story.”
“It would be an honor,” she says with pride. “I know what it was like to be a little girl and see myself in the faces of people from my community. Representation matters now more than ever. And I hope that if I do win, I won’t be the last.”
She also wants to see motion capture represented by the Academy sooner rather than later.
“I have faith that these conversations will be taken highly into consideration,” she said of the debate over motion capture performances receiving awards recognition. “Motion capture allows the actor to embody a character fully. It’s like theater. You show up with dots and a onesie, and once you accept yourself as God made you, all you have is the story and your imagination.”
Salda?a has been an integral part of the MCU for years, playing Gamora in the “Guardians of the Galaxy” trilogy and several “Avengers” films. But now, she feels it’s time to move on.
“I think my role was great. My journey and partnership were memorable and so rewarding,” she recalls. “I keep saying this time and time again — I can’t wait to see what’s next for Gamora. I hope they’re not done with her, and I hope a woman of color or a woman with special needs can take on the role next. That would be incredible.”
Though she expresses deep gratitude for the opportunities Marvel has given her, Salda?a acknowledges the toll of playing such a physically demanding role over the years.
“I’m 46. What am I gonna do?” she jokes in my recalling that Latinos don’t age. “We age differently, yes, but we still age!”
Salda?a isn’t just thinking about her next on-screen role but her future behind the camera.
“I want to direct,” she confirms. “I see how my husband [Marco Perego], a multi-disciplinary artist, handles the responsibility of telling a story. I don’t want all the hard work that comes with budgeting and logistics, but I want more control over storytelling.”
However, she admits that choosing a project and writing can be challenging.
“I have so many stories I want to tell, but I have ADD and dyslexia,” she shares. “You can’t sit me in front of a computer longer than a minute before I’m like, ‘My hand hurts, I can’t!’ And I don’t type fast enough for my thoughts to come through. Maybe I’ll learn. That’s my next challenge.”
Outside of Hollywood, Salda?a has a deep love for food and culture. Inspired by shows like “Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy” and the late Anthony Bourdain’s “Parts Unknown,” she dreams of creating a series that explores the culinary traditions of Latin America.
“For some reason, outside of Argentina and Mexican cuisine, we rarely see deeper dives into Puerto Rican, Dominican, Cuban, or even Jamaican and Uruguayan food,” she says. “Food tells the story of history — colonization, slavery, indigenous roots — and how it all meets in one dish. It’s magical.”
Salda?a has even thought about doing the show with her sisters and her trans nephew, highlighting how different cultures’ LGBTQ+ communities connect through food.
“We’ve always had this idea of a travel show centered around food and meeting Queer populations across different territories, seeing how food heals and brings people together,” she explains. “That’s a show I’d love to do.”
Despite her intergalactic and superheroic adventures, Salda?a is still a Queens girl at heart. And as any New Yorker knows, that means one thing: declaring your baseball allegiance.
“Yes, I’m a Mets fan!” she says proudly. “Growing up in Jackson Heights, my grandparents would take me to games. They’d make hot dogs at home because they refused to spend money at the stadium. We’d bring rice and beans and sandwiches from the bodega. My grandpa would have his whiskey, and my grandma would cover me in sunscreen until I looked like Casper. That’s my experience as a Mets fan.”
Now, as a mother of three boys, she’s adjusting to a household obsessed with soccer (or fútbol, as they call it).
“They wake up, and all they talk about is Manchester City, Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain,” she shares. “I don’t even know who half these players are! But every time we go to Europe and meet them, I turn into a mom. I’m like, ‘God bless you, call your mother, don’t make mistakes, just play and go home.’ And they’re always looking at me like, ‘Lady, get off of me!’”
While much of her awards season run has been defined by celebration, it has also been overshadowed by controversy surrounding her “Emilia Pérez” co-star Karla Sofía Gascón’s past social media posts.
“I’m sad,” she tells Variety. “Time and time again, that’s the word because that is the sentiment that has been living in my chest since everything happened. But I will always be a hopeful person. I was not raised to have any negative judgment toward people of any group or community. While being that person, I can still stand by a body of work that I can be proud of.”
As Salda?a moves forward, her passion for storytelling, whether through acting, directing, or food, remains unwavering. Her career is only evolving. And no matter where she goes next, she’ll always cheer for the Mets (I’m a Yankees fan).
Also, on this episode, “The Substance” star Demi Moore, while the Roundtable discusses the controversy surrounding “Emilia Pérez” and its star Karla Sofía Gascón and how it affects the Oscar race.
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