Zoe Saldaña: Spielberg Helped Me Regain Trust in Major Films After ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’
The world of “Pirates” wasn’t the right fit for Zoe Saldaña.
During a discussion at the BFI London Film Festival on Saturday, the 46-year-old “Avatar” actress opened up about her unpleasant experience while working on “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.” In the 2003 film, she played the character Anamaria, but she did not reprise her role in the sequels.
“That experience taught me a lot about the type of people I want to work with,” she remarked, according to Variety.
“The crew and cast are usually fantastic,” she added, referencing Variety and The Hollywood Reporter. “However, if the studio, producers, and director lack kindness and respect, even a large production can turn into a very negative experience, and I almost lost my way.”
“Pirates” marked one of Saldaña’s first major acting roles. Following that, she appeared in “The Terminal” as a customs officer. It was through this project, under the direction of Steven Spielberg, that she realized that not all big films have to be difficult.
“Eight months later, working with Steven Spielberg restored my faith that big movies can be wonderful,” she shared, according to the sources.
The actress from “Star Trek” has previously discussed her disappointing “Pirates” experience, noting in 2022 to Entertainment Weekly that the scale of the production felt overwhelming and “the pace was just too fast.”
“Overall, it didn’t leave me with a positive impression,” she reflected. “I felt lost amidst the chaos, and that wasn’t acceptable.”
Last year, in an interview with BBC Radio 1, Saldaña attributed this unpleasant experience to issues with management. She noted, however, that Jerry Bruckheimer, the franchise producer, later reached out to apologize for her experience. “Years later, I met Jerry Bruckheimer, who expressed remorse over what happened, as he genuinely wants everyone involved to have a good experience,” she relayed to Entertainment Weekly in 2022. “That gesture deeply affected me.”
Despite the challenges during filming, Saldaña stated to BuzzFeed UK that she’s proud of the final product.
“The production was too massive and chaotic for me,” she acknowledged. “However, I take pride in the film’s outcome. The journey to reach that point was arduous, and I wouldn’t want to experience that all over again.”
Since then, Saldaña has starred in some of the highest-grossing films in history, taking on roles such as Uhura in the recent “Star Trek” trilogy, Gamora in the “Guardians of the Galaxy” series and two “Avengers” movies, along with Neytiri in James Cameron’s “Avatar” series.