oe Zaldana was born in New Jersey to Dominicans parents, moved to the
Dominican Republic for 7 years and studied ballet there at Ritmos
Espacio de Danza academy, and then went back to the United States to
continue her career.
In New York she studied acting at the FACES theather program and after
that got her first role of relevance in the movie Center Stage
(2000/I).
Zoe Saldana made her motion picture debut as the defiant ballerina
Eva in Nicholas Hytner's drama, Center Stage. She followed her big
screen bow in the role of Maggie opposite Kirsten Dunst and Colin
Hanks in Get Over It.
Zoe shivered our timbers as the lady swashbuckler in 2003's Pirates of
the Caribbean, but her onscreen time was all too brief. Fortunately,
her gorgeous looks and expert dance moves will be showcased more and
more as her fame rises. Wouldn't everyone love to loot her booty? Arrr!
Zoe Saldana exploded onto the scene as an aspiring ballerina in Center
Stage, and then supported Kirsten Dunst and Mila Kunis in Get Over It.
After driving cross-country with Britney Spears in Crossroads and
drumming it up in Drumline, she smacked Johnny Depp twice across his
pirate mug in 2003's summer blockbuster.
Saldana next starred opposite recording artist Nelly in the
independent feature, Snipes, which premiered at the 2001 Toronto Film
Festival. She starred alongside another recording artist, superstar
Britney Spears, in the coming-of-age film Crossroads, the story of
three childhood friends who reunite on the eve of their high school
graduation and travel cross-country in pursuit of their dreams.
Saldana's television work includes guest-starring spots on the WB's
Keeping It Real and NBC's Emmy-winning drama, Law and Order.
Born in New Jersey and raised in Queens, New York, Saldana moved with
her family to the Dominican Republic as a youngster. After winning a
scholarship to a prestigious dance school, the budding talent studied
all forms of dance including ballet, jazz, modern and latin dance.
After her sophomore year of high school, she returned to the U.S.
and continued her studies. She joined a New York theatre group called
FACES Theatre Co., which performs improvisational skits for teenagers
dealing with a variety of subjects, including substance abuse,
domestic violence and sexual assault.
