Actress Zoe Saldana has never been shy about embracing her Latin and black roots. She's also remained one of the many women of color in Hollywood that doesn't have a problem with speaking out against injustice, which is why Latina chose her to cover their December/January 2016 issue. During the in-depth interview, Saldana spoke candidly about controversial topics like immigration in the United States, backlash she's received about playing music icon Nina Simone, as well as loving every minute of family life.
When she's not engulfed in a new acting role, Saldana is savoring every minute of motherhood with her new husband, Marco Perego. Saldana married the Italian artist in 2013 and the two welcomed twin boys Bowie Ezio and Cy Aridio in 2014.
The daughter of a Dominican father and Puerto Rican mother, Saldana and her husband are both passionate about raising their children in a multilingual home. Spanish and Italian are the main languages spoken in their home, admitting the only time they speak English is when they're around people that don't understand their native tongues.
"Oh my God, it's just who I am every day," Saldana told Latina. "So they're going to get a part of who I am naturally. English isn't even Marco's second language. It's his fourth. We only speak English when we have people around us that we have to speak English. But if it's just Marco and the boys, it's a combination of Italian and Spanish at all times. I speak a very Dominican Italian."
A photo posted by Latina Magazine (@latina) on Nov 3, 2015 at 8:11am PST
Despite embracing the idea of teaching her children about the many cultures surrounding them, Saldana also knows the history of Latin cultures not being accepted in the United States. The 37-year-old Guardians of the Galaxy star stated Latinos are being treated just as bad as the Italians, Irish, Jews, and Asians were when they migrated to this country.
She admitted "the topic of immigration hurts," because such negative connotations are being forced upon her and her Latin people and she doesn't agree with any of it. Believing she's equally American and Latina, bigotry and racism is something she doesn't have tolerance for.
"You can’t kill us," Saldana told Latina. "You can’t send us back. We are millions and millions here because it is our time to migrate. We are the youngest culture. We are doing what your people did. So shut up and just deal with it. Adjust your laws, because it’s not going away."
A photo posted by Latina Magazine (@latina) on Nov 3, 2015 at 7:14am PST
While family and culture play a big part of her life, Saldana has always had a passion for acting, exploring different forms of art, and learning how to mix them together. Saldana kicked off her career after being featured in an episode of Law & Order, and since then she's continued to climb her way to Hollywood stardom.
For the past three years, Saldana has been preparing to star in a biopic surrounding iconic singer and civil rights activist, Nina Simone. Despite receiving backlash for being a Latina playing a black woman, Saldana didn't pay critics any mind. Holding a personal connection with Simone, Saldana made it her mission to research the role properly and find ways to bring the singer out of her.
"I read as much as I could and spoke to as many people who knew her, who interviewed her," Saldana told Latina. "I listened to her voice, to her tone. She was angry, and rightfully so. She was a black woman born ahead of her time. Her soul, her spirit was never able to accept or adapt to the heartbreaks that life was giving her. Those are means for insanity. She was bipolar, and at that time, very little was known about bipolar disorder."
Despite problems with management, Saldana is fighting for the movie to get finished. Nina is scheduled to hit theaters Dec. 4, but due to productions issues, the release date could change.
