6 lesser-known facts for fans of Zoe Saldaña

You love her as Gamora from the Marvel Cinematic Universe or even as Star Trek's Nyota Uhara, but how well do you know Zoe Saldaña? If you've been dying to learn a little more about the immensely talented actress, then here are some lesser-known facts that'll make you feel like a true fan.

1. Dancing to her own tune

Although today you know her as an accomplished actress, Zoe Saldaña discovered her love for performance through dance. When she was living in the Dominican Republic, she enrolled in the ECOS Espacio de Danza Academy to study various forms of dance, with ballet being her favourite. No wonder she's an expert at dancing her way into audiences' hearts.

2. Trekkie tales

You've seen Saldaña play the role of linguist Nyota Uhara with aplomb in the rebooted Star Trek (Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, JioCinema, Apple iTunes, Google Play Movies, YouTube) franchise. Although Saldaña had never seen the original series *gasps*, she had the experience of being a true-blue fan. Wondering how? Well, Saldaña played the role of a Trekkie in the 2004 movie The Terminal ( Amazon Prime Video, JioCinema, Apple iTunes). And now she has Trekkie fans of her own; what a full-circle moment!

3. Advice galore

Sticking with Star Trek, if you're wondering how Saldaña delivered such a wonderful performance as Uhara despite not having watched the original series, it's because she was helped by the best. While on one hand Saldaña recieved advice from the original Uthara Nichelle Nichols, she also got loads of tips from her mom who's a hardcore Trekkie! As far as mentors go, this is as good as it gets, right?

4. Go green

You might have heard of going green with envy, but going green with dedication? Probably not. However, that's exactly what Saldaña did while playing Gamora in the hit film Guardians of the Galaxy (Disney+ Hotstar, JioCinema, Apple iTunes, Google Play Movies, Tata Sky).To play green-skinned Gamora, Saldaña opted to rely on make-up rather than CGI after-effects and performance capture. Whoever said that acting's an easy job didn't meet Saldaña.

5. Cue the training montage

If you thought training montages are just for reel life, you're mistaken. For her role in the blockbuster film Avatar (Disney+ Hotstar, Apple iTunes, Google Play Movies), Saldaña had to undergo rigorous training for six months. She learned several skills including martial arts, horseback riding, and archery. Is there anything she can't do?!

6. A force to reckon with

On a more serious note, Saldaña must be appreciated for being so outspoken about her health issues. In 2016 the actress revealed that she, along with her mother and sister, suffered from an autoimmune disease known as Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Kudos to her for shining a light on this ailment and bringing awareness about physical well-being!

Now that you know more about Zoe Saldaña, catch the actress in The Adam Project, now streaming on Netflix!