This overlooked sci-fi performance left Zoe Saldaña frustrated
It’s hard to find an actress today who could be measurably more successful than Zoe Saldaña. After appearing in “Star Trek,” Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” series and, perhaps most importantly, James Cameron’s “Avatar” films, she has established herself as both a powerful performer and someone always poised for financial success The connection is at the highest level. In summary? She is an actress who can impress both on screen and at the box office. But for Saldaña, frustration remains with her work in the science fiction genre, particularly in “Avatar.”
In a recent profile post for The IndependentSaldaña spoke about her work in the The acclaimed film “Emilia Pérez” was released on Netflix in November. Saldaña is in the conversation this awards season for her work in the film, and while that’s certainly a nice thing, the actress also thought a little about being recognized for her performance in 2009’s “Avatar” and its sequel, “Avatar: The “Way of the Water” from 2022 was overlooked. She believes the industry is clinging to old ideas by not recognizing motion capture performances compared to more traditional on-camera performances. Here’s what she had to say about it:
“Old habits die hard, and when you have old institutions it’s really hard to make change. And I understand that, so I’m not bitter about it, but it’s pretty disappointing when you put 120 percent of yourself into something. “I mean, not winning is okay, not being nominated is okay, but if one is overlooked and then minimized and completely ignored…”
“Avatar” became the highest-grossing film of all time (twice)with a current account balance of more than $2.9 billion. Only “Avengers: Endgame” ($2.79 billion) came close to this amount. During its time, the film was also nominated for several Oscars, including the Oscar for Best Picture, although mainly in the technical categories. The actors were excluded.
Avatar is more than just CGI, and Zoe Saldaña is proof of that
There has been some controversy over motion capture in the industry for several decades. Andy Serkis completely changed the game with his performance as Gollum in “The Lord of the Rings.” Serkis later brought a whole new dimension with his portrayal of Caesar in the Planet of the Apes films. There were no Oscar nominations for either performance, but both films received awards for their visual effects.
Does it take very talented technicians to fully bring these performances to life? Yes. But there’s a huge difference between a lifeless CGI creation and what Saldaña and the others did in “Avatar” or other blockbusters based on motion capture performances. “I know the difference between that and what we did,” Saldaña added in the interview.
In my opinion, Saldaña and the other actors were not given due recognition for such performances. I would argue that she hasn’t quite gotten the credit she deserves either also her role as Gamora in the “Guardians of the Galaxy” films. Fortunately, the industry is changing in some ways. Angela Bassett received a Best Supporting Actress nomination for her work in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, so at least comic book movies aren’t overlooked when warranted. Saldaña seems to have further come to terms with the lack of critical appreciation for her work as Neytiri:
“At some point you have to ask yourself: Why do I do what I do? Is it so that others can give me approval? Or is it because I don’t want to do anything else?”
Who knows? Maybe until Avatar: Fire and Ash hits theaters next yearthe settings will change a little. For now, Saldaña will have to settle for starring in the three highest-grossing films of all time and some of the top 20.