Avatar‘s Zoe Saldaña emotionally reflects on playing Neytiri across five movies and for over two decades, calling it “a gift.” The actress debuted in 2009’s Avatar as Neytiri, a Na’vi who acts as Jake Sully’s love interest, and reprised the role 13 years later in 2022’s The Way of Water, which finds them as a family of five. Saldaña is set to reprise her role as Neytiri in the upcoming Avatar: Fire and Ash, in addition to Avatar 4 and 5, with the fifth and final film expected to be released in 2031.

During a recent appearance on ᴅᴇᴀᴅline‘s video series The Actor’s Side, Saldaña reflected on playing Neytiri across five Avatar films for over two decades. She remembers being 28 years old when she signed on to the Avatar franchise and said she will be 54 when she finishes filming the fifth and final film. Read her full comments below:

I was 28 when I did the first movie and I think if all goes to plan, I’m gonna be 53, 54 for the very fifth one and last one. That’s a gift. It’s a gift to be able to revisit a character that has given me so much. To revisit a place that has been so magical. Not just for me, but for so many people in the world. We’re talking about communities in the Amazon were able to see Avatar 1, and they were moved by the stories that Jim [Cameron] was saying and how they felt represented in the story that Jim was conveying. That’s beautiful to be a part of something so impactful.

What Zoe Saldaña’s Comments Mean For Her Career

What The Avatar Star Has Done Since Joining The Franchise

Since starring in Avatar in 2009, Zoe Saldaña’s career has progressed in ways that were previously unimaginable. After starring in Avatar, she joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Gamora in 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy and reprised the role in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. With her roles in the Avatar franchise and the MCU, Saldaña has starred in two of the top three highest-grossing movies of all time (Avatar, Endgame, and The Way of Water).

In 2024, Saldaña starred in Netflix’s controversial crime musical Emilia Pérez, and is currently considered the frontrunner to win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. In addition to starring in some of the biggest movies of all time and likely winning an Oscar next month, Saldaña has also starred in the Star Trek reboot movies as Nytoa Uhura. In total, movies that Saldaña have appeared in have earned over $15 billion globally, the second-highest for an actress all-time.

Our Take On Zoe Saldaña’s Career

More Milestones Are On The Horizon

Since starring in 2009’s Avatar, Zoe Saldaña has grown up before audiences’ eyes and achieved milestones that were previously thought to be improbable. When she likely wins an Oscar next month, she will become the highest-grossing winner of all time, actor or actress. With three more Avatar movies on the horizon, she is poised to become the highest-grossing actor of all time, solidifying her status as one of cinema’s most prominent stars.

Source: ᴅᴇᴀᴅline