Zoe Saldana Loneliness On Set Points Towards The Gender Disparity In Hollywood

Zoe Saldana Updates: Zoe Saldana who is known for her roles in major movie franchises opened up about her struggles being a woman of color in Hollywood.

In an old interview with Time Magazine, Zoe Saldana opened up about her struggles in Hollywood. The 42-year-old star has appeared in three major movie franchises, Guardians of the Galaxy, Star Trek, and Avatar. Yet, there seems to be something missing in her success.

Saldana told Time that she felt pitted in competition against other actresses for a role. She admitted that when there were 50,000 women going to audition for a role and she got it, she felt like she must be the best.

Saldana said that she idolized roles like Sarah Connor in Terminator or Ellen Ripley in Alien. A lone woman fighting for her survival was what spoke to her. She conflicted against racism and sexism in the industry to find a role for herself that would define her as a powerful woman.

What Zoe Saldana Shared?

Time Magazine

She revealed that most of the time she did not get a part for being ‘too dark or too light. Saldana comes from Puerto Rican and Dominican heritage. It became more difficult for her to find roles of her choice after the controversy surrounding her role as Nina Simone. She had first rejected the part and then had come back to it only to be criticized for her dark, unnatural makeup.

She told Time that racism has been made into a plot device and is glamorized. Movies dealing with issues like race are not given a delicate touch that it deserves.

Saldana admitted to feeling lonely on set. She said that the competitive nature of women leaves them isolated. She wishes that there were more women on the set. She said that it’s not because there is a lack of female cast and crew members but rather the fact that there is hardly ever a female director and the female producers lack the courage to stand up to their male counterparts. This makes her feel completely outnumbered.

Saldana also revealed that she prefers doing films set in the future because in the future there is a better chance of her playing a role of a fighting woman in a female-centric film. She says that the future represents hope.