HOT GALLERY: Zoe Saldana from Center Stage to Guardians of the Galaxy – Her Rise to Fame

Zoe Saldana, Senior, Newtown High School, Elmhurst, NY

Seth Poppel/Yearbook Library

Zoe Saldana, Senior, Newtown High School, Elmhurst, New York

Born Zoe Yadira Saldana in Passaic, New Jersey, Zoe initially grew up in Queens. When she was 10, her father died, so her family relocated to the Dominican Republic, where she trained as a dancer. When Zoe was 17, she returned to New York for her senior year and graduated high school.

Zoe Saldana in Center Stage (2000)

Back in New York, Zoe worked with various theater companies, including Faces and the New York Youth Theater. However, it was her dance training that opened the door for her first film role as a ballerina in the American Ballet Academy drama Center Stage.

Zoe Saldana in Crossroads (2002)

In the Britney Spears gal-pal bonding flick Crossroads, Zoe rides shotgun alongside Spears and Taryn Manning as three BFFs who drive cross-country.

Zoe Saldana in Drumline (2002)

In this crowd-pleasing sleeper, Zoe plays Laila, a head cheerleader attending fictional Atlanta A&T University, who falls for Nick Cannon’s charismatic hot-shot drummer.

Zoe Saldana in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)

Zoe Saldana in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)

Saldana landed her first big time blockbuster in the first Pirates film playing the feisty she-pirate Anamaria.

Zoe Saldana in Vantage Point (2008)

Zoe was part of an all-star cast in the action-thriller Vantage Point, playing cable news reporter Angie Jones.

Zoe Saldana in Star Trek (2009)

J.J. Abrams cast Saldana in the iconic role of communications officer Nyota Uhura in his big-screen reboot of the Star Trek film franchise. Playing the character fresh out of Starfleet Academy, Saldana got to explore new ground with Uhura, including an onscreen romance with Spock (Zachary Quinto).

Zoe Saldana in Avatar (2009)

While Saldana's star was steadily on the rise, her career went into the stratosphere after the world fell in love with her performance as Neytiri, the Na’vi princess in James Cameron’s Avatar. Her motion-capture performance is the heart of the film, and she wowed audiences around the globe with her passionate portrayal.

Zoe Saldana in Colombiana (2011)

Zoe goes dark and dangerous as Cataleya Restrepo in Colombiana. After she witnesses the murder of her parents as a young girl, Cataleya is groomed by her uncle as a ruthless hit woman. Saldana took months of combat training to prep for the role, her first as a headliner.

NBC/Rosemary's Baby FB

Zoe Saldana in Rosemary's Baby (2014)

Saldana took on the iconic role of Rosemary, originally inhabited by Mia Farrow, in NBC's remake of the classic film.

Marvel/Guardians of the Galaxy FB

Zoe Saldana in Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

Saldana's quickly become an action powerhouse and she can now add Marvel under her belt. She'll be playing Gamora, an orphan alien warrior, who joins a misfit group spearheaded by Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) to save the galaxy.