Zoe Saldana: Nina Simone Controversy Won't 'Deter Me' From Telling Story

LONDON -- Zoe Saldana has played an alien and a future space traveler – but taking on the role of an actual famous person proved even harder.

The 34-year-old star of "Avatar" and "Star Trek" plays pianist, singer and activist Nina Simone in the forthcoming biopic "Nina."

Her casting drew criticism from some, who argued that Saldana bears little resemblance to the singer, who died in 2003 aged 70.

Musician India.Arie said "they should have chosen someone who looks like Nina Simone," and an online petition for a boycott of the film attracted more than 10,000 signatures.

But Saldana said she feels strongly that she's right to play Simone, an immense, irascible talent who made an indelible mark on both music and the civil rights movement with songs including "To Be Young, Gifted and Black" and "Mississippi Goddam."

"The Nina Simone story needed to be told, and I'm really blessed that I did it," said Saldana, a New Yorker of Puerto Rican and Dominican descent.

"I'm human. I wish I was made of steel and so certain things wouldn't affect me," Saldana said at a recent London event to promote "Star Trek Into Darkness," in which she plays multilingual communications officer Lt. Uhura.

"So it did affect me but I couldn't let that deter me from doing what I needed to do.

"Just like everybody else I feel very strongly about Nina Simone, and that (this) was a story that needed to be told.

"I do believe that if everybody had more information about how this all came to be, it might help," she added. "But then again, I'm not here to get the acceptance of people. I'm here to be an artist first."

"Star Trek Into Darkness," the second film in J.J. Abrams' rebooted series, sees Uhura play a bigger role in the action, to Saldana's delight. She even got to do a scene in Klingon.

"They flew in this linguist from San Francisco who gives courses. You go away for the weekend and you just speak Klingon," she said. "It ended up being much easier than I thought."

Like the entire Enterprise crew, Saldana has mixed feelings about Abrams' imminent departure for the "Star Wars" universe. He is due to revive the series with a new film in 2015, so it looks unlikely he'll be at the helm of a third "Star Trek" voyage.

Saldana hopes he'll remain as a producer, with another member of the existing team – possibly one of the writers – stepping in to direct.

She said she wouldn't want to see a new director come in and lose the essence of Abrams' reboot of the series.

"There's been a tone set" with Abrams" movies, she said – "So much so that it's made a fan out of me."

Aha! So is Saldana, like Abrams, a "Star Wars" fan in the "Star Trek" camp?

Neither, it turns out.

"I'm more of a `Dune' kind of person," she said.

"Star Trek Into Darkness" opens Thursday in the United States.

Zoe Saldana Opens Up On Nina Simone Controversy

Zoe Saldana Opens Up On Nina Simone Controversy
Posted by Wilson Morales

June 30, 2014

Source: Monarch

It’s been over a year since actress Zoe Saldana was chosen to play the legendary Jazz singer Nina Simone, with controversy coming from all sides. Just about every outlet has had their say on whether Saldana’s casting was the best choice. At this year’s Cannes Film Festival, the producers screened the film looking for foreign sales and distributors and there hasn’t been any feedback. In fact, there’s a lawsuit filed by director Cynthia Mort claiming its British production company has hijacked the film.

In the latest issue of Monarch Magazine, Ms. Saldana addresses the issues that has raised questions on her casting. Besides talking about ‘Nina,’ she also talks about her other projects, including ‘Guardians of the Galaxy,’ and working with the Jones sisters (Kidada and Rashida) on a TV series.

Here are some highlights regarding the Nina Simone film:

Playing the late, great Nina Simone, what inspired you to do a project like this?

Zoe Saldana: Nina was a true genius and an iconic artist. It was a dream job for me. It’s one of the scariest projects I’ve ever been involved with because it was about an iconic figure, and there were so many political [issues] around it from the beginning; but I really wanted it to be a love song to Nina Simone and I wanted it to just come from a place of absolute love. I loved the complexity of Nina and her beauty that she expressed with her music. I wanted to do right by her and knew it would be challenging. I feel so blessed to have such an amazing opportunity to play a true legend.

How did you prepare for the role?

ZS: I did a lot of research to prepare for Nina. I took piano lessons, voice lessons, worked with a dialect coach, and I really invested months of just doing research about Nina – her background, her story, her life. My research ranged from reading books about Nina, listening to her music, watching footage of her.

How did the controversy about you playing Nina affect you?

ZS: The Nina Simone story needed to be told, and I’m really blessed that I did it. I’m human. I wish I was made of steel and so certain things wouldn’t affect me. So it did affect me but I couldn’t let that deter me from doing what I needed to do. Just like everybody else I feel very strongly about Nina Simone, and that [this] was a story that needed to be told. I do believe that if everybody had more information about how this all came to be, it might help; but then again, I’m not here to get the acceptance of everyone – I’m here to be an artist first. Hopefully people will enjoy the film and I helped shed some light on this amazing iconic.

Do you feel like your heritage and ethnicity is always questioned?

ZS: I find it uncomfortable to have to speak about my identity all of the time, when in reality it’s not something that drives me or wakes me up out of bed every day. I didn’t grow up in a household where I was categorized by my mother. I was just Zoe and I could have and be anything that I ever wanted to do … and every human being is the same as you. So to all of a sudden leave your household and have people always ask you, “What are you? What are you?” is the most uncomfortable question sometimes and it’s literally the most repetitive question. Because I can’t wait to be in a world where people are sized by their soul and how much they can contribute as individuals and not what they look like … I feel like as a race, that’s a minute problem against the problems we face just as women versus men, in a world that’s more geared and designed to cater towards the male species.

Zoe Saldana: 'I Turned Down the Nina Simone Role for a Year'

The actress reveals what's been going on with the cursed film.

By Evelyn Diaz

Posted: 06/25/2015 09:00 AM EDT

Filed Under Zoe Saldana, Celebrity News, Celebrity Biopics, Nina Simone, Nina Simone Biopic

The critically-acclaimed documentary What Happened, Miss Simone? — which debuted on Netflix yesterday — and accompanying soundtrack may have taken what little wind was left in the sails of the cursed biopicNina. But Zoe Saldana, who controversially plays Nina Simone, isn't giving up on the film. 

We sat down with Saldana to figure out what's going on with the project, which has been on the shelf for three years, and asked her to reflect on what got her to say yes to the part knowing that many people would look at her as Nina Simone and say, "No."

After acknowledging earlier this month that maybe she wasn't the best choice to play Miss Simone, Saldana tells us that she, indeed, turned the film down for a full year before coming aboard. And she took the project because the people she describes as "more physically right for the part" passed on the project.

CELEBRITY BIOPICS THAT GOT IT RIGHT
"If people would have known the whole story about what happened, they might have a different point of view," she tells us. "I did give it thought, and at the end of the day, I'm proud of my decision."

She also hints at the behind-the-scenes drama responsible for keeping the film on the shelf for three years. "It's unfortunate that political and business reasons have prevented the director [Cynthia Mort] and myself getting our vision for what this story is, and a lot of inexperienced people have had undeserving power over this film."

Still, Saldana is optimistic about the future of the film, which is reportedly slated to come out later this year. "We won't give up. We'll continue to fight," she says.

Zoe Saldana biography

Date of Birth: June 19, 1978

Zoe Saldana was born in New Jersey and raised in Queens, New York. Her mother is Puerto Rican and her father is of Dominican descent, and her first languages are English and Spanish. At 10 years old, she moved with her family to the Dominican Republic, where she would live for the next seven years. While there, she took an interest in dance and studied ballet and other types of dance at the ECOS Espacio de Danza Dance Academy.

At 17, Saldana moved back to the United States where she developed a love for theater. She performed with the Faces theater troupe, which staged plays for teenagers that provided positive messages about issues such as sex and substance abuse. While performing with Faces, and also with the New York Youth Theater, Zoe was scouted for a talent agency. Her acting and dance experience later helped her land the major role of Eva Rodriguez in the dance film Center Stage (2000).

Saldana made more film appearances in Get Over It (2001), Snipes (2001) and Drumline(2002) before landing the role of Anamaria in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), for which she is arguably most well-known. She was set to reprise her role in the next films of the series, but never did. Saldana went on to complete a slew of other films such as Temptation (2004), Constellation (2005),Blackout (2007), and Vantage Point (2008). When she was chosen to play Nyota Uhura in Star Trek (2009), she hadn't seen the television series, and enlisted Nichelle Nichols, who played the same character in the show, to help her prepare for the role. Her television credits include Law & Order, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and Six Degrees.

According to many of the celebrities she has worked with, such as Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, Ashton Kutcher, Kirsten Dunst and Orlando Bloom, Saldana has incredible potential for success due to her range, concentration and determination. Following her appearance in Star Trek (2009), she played a starring role in Avatar (2009), which went on to become the biggest box office success of all time. Since then she's appeared in the comedy Death at a Funeral (2010), the action flick Colombiana (2011) and the dramaThe Words (2012). She will also reprise her Star Trek and Avatar roles for the upcoming sequels. She recently starred in Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) and lent her voice to the animated film The Book of Life (2014).

Best Zoe Saldana Movies

List of the best Zoe Saldana movies, ranked best to worst with movie trailers when available. Zoe Saldana's highest grossing movieshave received a lot of accolades over the years, earning millions upon millions around the world. The order of these top Zoe Saldana movies is decided by how many votes they receive, so only highly rated Zoe Saldana movies will be at the top of the list. Zoe Saldana has been in a lot of films, so people often debate each other over what the greatest Zoe Saldana movie of all time is. If you and a friend are arguing about this then use this list of the most entertaining Zoe Saldana films to end the squabble once and for all.

If you think the best Zoe Saldana role isn't at the top, then upvote it so it has the chance to become number one. The greatest Zoe Saldana performances didn't necessarily come from the best movies, but in most cases they go hand in hand. 

Zoe Saldana Biography

Zoe Saldana is a trained dancer who's become a leading actress in Hollywood, having starred in blockbusters like Pirates of the Caribbean, Star Trek and Avatar.

“I got so much out of being a dancer. The stillness of it. The discipline. The dedication.”

Born on June 19, 1978 in Passaic, New Jersey, and partly raised in the Dominican Republic, the bilingual Zoe Saldana started her acting career in films like Crossroads, Drumline, The Terminal and Pirates of the Caribbean. After years of diverse work, in 2009 she landed leading roles in the blockbusters Star Trek and Avatar. She's also been a model for Avon, the Gap and Calvin Klein.

Born in Passaic, New Jersey on June 19, 1978, Zoe Saldana grew up in Queens to a mixed ethnic heritage, with her mother being of Puerto Rican descent and her father hailing from the Dominican Republic. At the age of 9, her father died in a car accident, and her mother subsequently moved Saldana and her two sisters Cisely and Mariel to the Dominican Republic, where they lived with their grandparents.

The three siblings grew up very close while Saldana studied a variety of dance forms at ECOS Espacio de Danza Academy, developing a particular fondness for ballet. She moved back to New York at 17 and continued dancing while also joining Faces, a teen-oriented theater group, and the New York Youth Theater, through which she was discovered by a talent agent.

Acting Debut

Following a guest spot on Law & Order, Saldana made her movie acting debut appropriately enough with the dance drama Center Stage, which portrayed a group of ballet students training at an academy. She then snagged supporting roles over the following years in a diverse array of films. After being featured in the teen comedy Get Over It!, the Britney Spears vehicle Crossroads and the hip-hop thriller Snipes, Saldana portrayed the captain of a dance team in the 2002 film Drumline. She then appeared in 2003 in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl as Anamaria, a former lover of Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) who gives him a wallop for his roguish behavior. In 2004, she appeared in the drama The Terminal with Tom Hanks, as well as Haven.

During the mid-2000s, Saldana continued to act in a number of ensemble films, both commercial and indie, and appeared on TV with roles in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Six Degrees. In 2005, she starred in Guess Who, a comedic update of the Sidney Poitier and Spencer Tracy classic Guess Who's Coming to Dinner; the newer version switched the racial roles of the original, with Bernie Mac as Saldana's wary African-American father and Ashton Kutcher as her beleaguered white fiancé. She was also later featured in the 2008 thriller Vantage Point.

'Star Trek' and 'Avatar'

Two-thousand nine was a blockbuster year for Saldana's career. After the thriller The Skeptic, Saldana starred in the remake of Star Trek by director J.J. Abrams, in which she played Communications Officer Uhura. In December 2009, she starred as Neytiri, an alien warrior, in the 3D sci-fi epic Avatar, which would go on to become the world's highest-grossing film. Director James Cameron used performance capture technology to create Saldana's computer-generated character, driven by her bodily movements and facial expressions in a studio setting. Saldana spent months training for the athletic role, taking up horseback riding, archery and wushu martial arts.

The following year, Saldana starred in the ensemble comedic remake Death at a Funeral with Chris Rock and Martin Lawrence, as well as two action capers—The Losers and Takers—and the comedic Burning Palms. In 2011, she landed the sole lead role in Colombiana, which featured Saldana as an assassin out to avenge the murder of her parents

Another Hit With 'Guardians'

The year 2012 saw Saldana making news off-screen by rushing to the aid of a woman who was injured in a car crash. Later that year, The Words was released, a return to serious drama for the actress about a struggling writer, portrayed by Bradley Cooper, who plagiarizes another person's work. She's also co-directed episodes for The Rope, a web series developed by Vin Diesel about bouncers and the world of nightlife.

Saldana returned to the Star Trek franchise with the 2013 sequel Into Darkness. And the following year she added comic-book hero to her list of roles, portraying the green-skinned assassin Gamora in Marvel's well-received Guardians of the Galaxy, which broke August's domestic box office records for debut earnings. The project also co-starred Diesel and Cooper, among others. 

Modeling Career

Outside of acting, Saldana has a strong interest in fashion. She has appeared in Calvin Klein lingerie commercials, in which she's performed monologues offering tidbits on vulnerability, mystery and strength. She's also appeared as a spokesperson for Avon, and modeled with her sisters in a Gap print ad andW magazine editorial. Saldana has appeared in many other magazines as well, including Elle, Vanity Fair, Latina, GQ Italia, Essence, Nylon and InStyle.

Personal Life

Saldana was reportedly romantically linked with Cooper after her relationship ended with longtime boyfriend, actor Keith Britton, with whom she partnered to found the website for My Fashion Database. In 2013, Saldana married Marco Perego and in 2014 the couple welcomed twins boys.