As Avatar returns to the big screen, Zoe Saldana, the 47-year-old star of the film, reveals how being a mother of three has changed the way she approaches her blue-skinned character—and why the James Cameron film is everything audiences want, expect, and more.
How would you say Avatar: Fire and Ash compares to what we have seen before in this franchise?
I would say this one is different. It’s just as spectacular, but it’s also way more emotional. It was definitely emotional for me, as a parent, because I really had to imagine the unimaginable. Both Sam Worthington and I have children so to experience the sense of loss and devestation our characters are going through in this one was really hard.
It’s almost 20 years since you were first cast as Neytiri. Did you ever imagine that this franchise would become such a huge part of your life?
Yeah, it’s a long time. This has always been about James Cameron’s vision for this world and while I don’t think any of us could fully believe it would actually happen over such a long period of time, here we are. When I signed on, it was for five movies. That was always the plan. And because of the way each movie is made, it was always going to take a long time.
