Zoë Saldaña proved she was a force to be reckoned with right off the bat with her big-screen debut in 2000’s Center Stage. Blockbusters came calling quickly, starting with Pirates of the Caribbean, and she was an early romantic lead opposite the likes of Nick Cannon and Ashton Kutcher. But of course, even bigger things were on the actress’ horizon.
Today, Saldaña is a franchise icon three times over. She took flight on the USS Enterprise, became one of the faces of the Marvel Cinematic Universe for a decade, and will continue leading James Cameron's Avatar franchise into the 2030s. She's appeared in the three highest-grossing films of all time and is the only person to star in four films that hit $2 billion worldwide.
Saldaña has become one of Hollywood’s most successful actors by playing tough, rugged, complicated characters. Those characteristics made her a bonafide action star, but her turn in the musical-gangster hybrid Emilia Pérez finally earned her attention on the awards circuit, including her first Oscar nomination.
In honor of the Academy’s recognition, Entertainment Weekly is looking back at Zoë Saldaña’s best movies and TV show performances, ranked.
13. From Scratch (2022)
Saldaña has made a career of playing tough women, but she proved she can also have audiences reaching for the tissue box with her Netflix limited series From Scratch. She plays Amy Wheeler, an American woman who falls into a whirlwind romance with an Italian chef, only for him to fall ill with cancer early in their time together.
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“We found this kind of heartbeat — this part of her soul that felt like it could inhabit the Amy who is strong, but also tender, funny, and scared,” executive producer Attica Locke told EW about casting her leading lady. “She can clean toilets to stay in Florence, and when need be, she can dig deep to take care of her husband when he gets ill. We felt that she could represent all of that, and she did beautifully.”
Where to watch From Scratch: Netflix
12. The Book of Life (2014)
The bilingual actress is no stranger to playing parts where you can't see her face, but perhaps one of her most overlooked is the gorgeous animated fable The Book of Life. Produced by Guillermo del Toro, the film follows musician Manolo (Diego Luna) in his death-defying journey to reunite with his lost love, Maria (Saldaña), before she winds up with another man. Her voice performance helps “elevate” the hero's journey, which EW called one of the best animated films of the 2010s.
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Where to watch The Book of Life: Disney+
11. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
The actress didn't have the best time filming The Curse of the Black Pearl, her first franchise film. On screen, however, it’s not hard to see the future action star she would become. Despite having limited screen time, she packs a serious punch as Anamaria, the only female smuggler in Jack Sparrow’s (Johnny Depp) crew. Saldaña notably delivers the slap heard ’round the High Seas and proves that girls can swordfight and brawl right alongside the boys.
Where to watch Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl: Disney+
10. Lioness (2023–present)
Saldaña has been in some of the biggest movies ever made, so signing on to a multi-season show, even with Yellowstone boss Taylor Sheridan, was a bit of a career pivot. Ultimately, she couldn't deny the power of the words. “It was the most exciting thing I had read in a long time,” Saldaña told EW in 2023.
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She plays Joe, a CIA operative recruited into the Lioness program, which sends agents out to befriend women in the inner circle of the agency's most wanted targets. The character requires the actress’s trademark grit, but she also embraced the mental challenge of the role: “It was more of a psychological journey for Joe and I wanted to experience that. Taylor has incredible writing and his monologues are quite powerful.”
Where to watch Lioness: Paramount+
9. Guess Who (2005)
Ashton Kutcher and Bernie Mac were then the major stars in Guess Who — a light remake of Guess Who's Coming to Dinner — in the race-reversed Sidney Poitier and Spencer Tracy roles. Judith Scott, meanwhile, takes on Katharine Hepburn’s old part. But Saldaña’s Theresa, the one bringing this young man to dinner, is the glue. The original character is often the overlooked fourth wheel, but Saldaña reliably shines just as brightly as her cohort. The actress forges an easy romantic chemistry with Kutcher and a playful father/daughter dynamic with Mac, all with her signature energy, charisma, and effortless charm.
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Where to watch Guess Who: Peacock
8. The Adam Project (2022)
It's hard to make space for yourself in a movie built around Ryan Reynolds, but Saldaña finds a way to do so in The Adam Project. She plays the wife of Reynolds’ titular Adam, Laura, a pilot who gets lost 50 years in the past, prompting him to go on a time travel journey of his own and encounter his younger self. The actress’ screen time here is more limited than in her other big-screen sci-fi efforts, but she’s essential to balancing the film’s ‘80s-style adventure with human drama.
Where to watch The Adam Project: Netflix
7. Crossroads (2002)
In the early 2000s, it would have taken a lot to overshadow the star power of Britney Spears. And yet Saldaña shines in Crossroads as Kit, the lovesick best friend of Spears’ Lucy. Yes, the movie was contrived almost entirely to launch Spears’s acting career, but the way it speaks to girlhood can’t be ignored. It’s gone down as a cult favorite — or guilty pleasure — largely because of Kit, who becomes a three-dimensional character thanks to the budding star who brings her to life. Whether she’s standing by Lucy during her family drama or going to bat for Mimi (Taryn Manning), Saldaña’s Kit is a ride-or-die for the ages.
Where to watch Crossroads: Netflix
6. Guardians of the Galaxy franchise (2014–2023)
Gamora debuted in Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) and later became an integral part of the two-part Avengers saga. If any role exemplifies the qualities of Saldaña's persona, it may be this one: A warrior of ruthless skill and precision, a headstrong woman of stubborn commitment. A love interest, sure — but only on her terms. A heroine, yes — but one with a dark side. After all, her father is Thanos (Josh Brolin).
Saldaña always tried to make the most of the character and find her human center. She told EW in 2024: “It was such a great opportunity to play a daughter having issues with a dad… and whether or not she's having this opportunity to reconciliate or to heal or to repair or simply just walk away from this person.”
Where to watch the Guardians of the Galaxy: Disney+
5. Drumline (2002)
Saldaña is best known for her blockbuster roles, but she had a few coming-of-age bangers in the aughts, too. Arguably, her most overlooked role is Laila, Nick Cannon's no-B.S. dancer girlfriend in Drumline. The character was far from your typical lovesick girlfriend. Laila is ambitious in her own right, and her passion for dance even inspires Devon (Cannon) to not give up on his own dreams.
In lesser hands, the “love interest” role could have been a thankless one. But Saldaña, never one to be constrained, made it her own, exuding authority beyond her years. Laila isn’t passively charmed by this hotshot drummer, she’s too self-possessed for that. In Saldaña's hands, Laila always feels in charge, demanding Devon’s — and our — respect.
4. Avatar franchise (2009–present)
Avatar is lauded for its technical execution, but all the special effects would be worthless without the actors behind the pixels. While awards bodies have been slow to recognize motion-capture performances, Saldaña has given “120 percent” to the role of Neytiri — and it shows. She is the franchise’s emotional core, imbuing the character with a physical ferocity and raw vulnerability that feel unnervingly human.
To say Saldaña has been committed to the role is an understatement: “I was sleeping with her, eating with her, hissing at people at the supermarket,” she told EW in 2010. “I never stopped being her, even when I went off to do other things… It was hard for me to take off my helmet when we were done.”
Where to watch Avatar: Disney+
3. Emilia Pérez (2024)
The divisive crime musical Emilia Pérez has been a critical and cultural lightning rod, but at least there’s a consensus about Saldaña, who earned her first Oscar nod for the role. She plays Rita, a Mexico City lawyer whose personal and professional life gets tangled with a particularly dangerous client, the eponymous Emilia, previously known as ruthless cartel boss Manitas Del Monte.
“It’s a delight to see Saldaña return to her dancing roots, and she executes Damien Jalet’s choreography with a fierce precision,” EW’s critic wrote. “Saldaña particularly shines in a number titled ‘The Bad,’ in which Rita lets loose about the criminals she and Emilia are getting in bed with, exorcising her frustrations in her imagination by jumping on tables and dancing with an energetic fury.”
Where to watch Emilia Pérez: Netflix
2. Center Stage (2000)
As her feature debut, Center Stage is the movie that launched Saldaña’s career and her “legendary bitchface.” She immediately commanded attention as the American Ballet Academy’s gifted but combative student, Eva, whose talent and attitude work at cross-purposes. She’s got a mind of her own, which sometimes gets the best of her, even when she’s… well, the best.
In retrospect, this is classic Saldaña. The actress is a formidable presence while also displaying incredible showmanship and physicality in her dance routines (a bit of pre-Emilia Perez pizazz). In a film full of memorable lines, Eva’s “Did you go to a special bitch academy or something?” still reigns supreme. Saldaña’s Eva is willing to put in the work and snap someone’s head off, which makes her triumphant, climactic performance that much more cathartic.
Where to watch Center Stage: Amazon Prime Video (to rent)
1. Star Trek franchise (2009–2016)
It takes a formidable actress to fill Nichelle Nichols' iconic space boots. Thankfully, Saldaña was up to the task. In taking over the role of Uhura in J.J. Abrams’ relaunched Star Trek, she channels Nichols' energy while bringing her own to the role. Uhura’s confident brilliance and sharp wit are in perfect hands here, but the new timeline also shows a new side to the character in her romantic relationship with Spock (Zachary Quinto).
Like Nichols before her, Saldaña embodied Star Trek’s optimistic, socially progressive ideals, serving as a heroic, aspirational icon for young girls with their eyes on a bold future. The role also changed the path of her own career. As EW wrote in 2016, it made her “a significant go-to figure for genre filmmakers looking for an action heroine.”
Where to watch Star Trek: Paramount+
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