<p id=”par-1_40″><a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/tag/actors/”>Actor</a> Zoe Saldaña’s career changed in more ways than one after <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/news/zoe-saldana-felt-like-signed-life-avatar-movies.html/”>she signed her life away</a> to the <em>Avatar </em>franchise. Incidentally, the thrill she experienced while doing James Cameron’s sci-fi epic made her want to do even more action flicks.</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-zoe-saldana-became-hungry-for-action-movies-after-doing-avatar”>Zoe Saldaña became hungry for action movies after doing ‘Avatar’</h2>
<figure class=”wp-block-image size-full” id=”emb-1″><img decoding=”async” src=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Action-Zoe-Saldana.webp?strip=all&quality=80″ alt=”Zoe Saldana posing at the ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ premiere.” class=”wp-image-3791150″><figcaption class=”wp-element-caption”>Zoe Saldana | Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic</figcaption></figure>
<p id=”par-2_89″>Saldaña was no stranger to action movies before she did <em>Avatar</em>. <em>Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl</em>, <em>Vantage Point</em>, and <em>Star Trek </em>were just a few of the genre films she dabbled in. However, the choreography and stunts she did in <em>Avatar </em>were unlike anything from her previous films. To <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/news/zoe-saldana-shared-avatar-character-freaked.html/”>do her character Neytiri</a> justice, Saldaña underwent a six-month training regimen to get into fighting shape. She also had to learn archery and martial arts to move as authentically as possible during her combat scenes.</p>
<p id=”par-3_44″>Although preparing for those types of scenes could be grueling, Saldaña welcomed and embraced the challenge. Eventually, she even became a bit of a thrill seeker. The Oscar-winner went through a period where she wanted all films to treat her like an action star.</p>
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<p id=”par-4_64″>“I mean, it’s still very new for me to shoot action movies. I honestly feel that after <em>Avatar</em>, I became like a beast for action. I’m so hungry for it and I want to do all my stunts; I’m all bruised up and everything. I’m still at that phase where I want to do everything myself and get beaten up,” she once told <a href=”https://collider.com/zoe-saldana-on-set-interview-the-losers-read-or-listen-here/” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Collider</a>.</p>
<p id=”par-5_18″>Another aspect of action films she enjoyed was that they made her further tap into her athletic background.</p>
<p id=”par-6_112″>“I was an athlete my whole life, so to be able to be challenged, not only emotionally, trying to tackle a character, but also to be challenged like physically,” Saldaña said in an interview with <a href=”https://www.joblo.com/set-visit-interview-with-zoe-saldana-on-the-set-of-the-losers/” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>JoBlo</a>. “I’m in my phase of action film exploitation. I mean, after <em>Avatar</em>, for 2 years of being harnessed and jumping off of wires and everything, I wanted to keep exploring that. And <em>Star Trek</em>, like, I had so much fun, but the boys got all the action. J.J. promised me that in the sequel, she will have at least one little fight scene. I’m like, ‘Just let me kick a guy in the groin or something.’”</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-zoe-saldana-wanted-to-see-more-women-in-action-films”>Zoe Saldaña wanted to see more women in action films</h2>
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<p id=”par-7_33″>Saldaña can trace her passion for action movies all the way back to her childhood. In an interview with <a href=”https://www.net-a-porter.com/en-us/porter/article-7ee1c52e81a703eb/cover-stories/cover-stories/zoe-saldana?gallery” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Net-a-Porter</a>, she briefly paid tribute to the female action stars she admired growing up.</p>
<p id=”par-8_48″>“As a child, when I saw Sigourney Weaver play Ellen Ripley or Linda Hamilton play Sarah Connor, they were my true north, because I loved action. I loved science fiction, and I loved the roles that they played. They were inspiring to me; I wanted that,” she said.</p>
<p id=”par-9_87″>Saldaña got what she wanted by doing other action films like<em> Colombia </em>and <em>Guardians of the Galaxy</em>. She even wanted to model her character Gamora after another prolific <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/news/zoe-saldana-shared-wanted-look-like-jet-li-playing-gamora.html/”>action iconic in Jet Li</a>. At one point, she even found herself <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/news/zoe-saldana-found-scary-started-compared-angelina-jolie.html/”>being compared to Angelina Jolie</a>, also known for being an action star. Still, she strived for other actors to get those same opportunities. Although she did her part to further her cause, Saldaña felt more conversations needed to occur about expanding women’s presence in action movies.</p>
<p id=”par-10_114″>“Then the people that are in the positions of power to create these opportunities, to write these stories, will listen and then they will give us what we’re asking for,” she said in an interview with <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/news/zoe-saldana-shared-avatar-character-freaked.html/” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Wired</a>. “At the end of the day, nobody’s doing it on purpose. They’re just looking at numbers and thinking ‘everyone loves guy movies, girls go with their boyfriends to guy movies and when they go on their own they just want to see romantic comedies.’ That’s crap! We have to get girls to see genres that they believe are only for men, and we have to get men to see films that are led by women. It’s important.”</p>