"When Zoe Saldana dances and sings, you don't dare blink," The New York Times praised the actress' Golden Globe-winning performance. Saldana, who starred in the highest-grossing Hollywood films in history, "Incarnation" and "The Avengers," and who impressed critics and audiences with her performance in the musical thriller "Emilia Perez," has finally had her personal moment of triumph.
In the film "Emilija Perez", which has been showing in Lithuanian cinemas since January 17, Z. Saldana plays lawyer Rita, who is unexpectedly drawn into a plan hatched by a Mexican drug cartel boss, in which he seeks to realize his dream.
"I really wanted to work with French film legend Jacques Audiard. When my agent called and announced the role, I was taking one of the kids to the doctor. I remember thinking, 'Oh my God, this is real. Jacques is making a movie and he chose me.' I couldn't believe it," the 46-year-old actress said in an interview.
Z. Saldana, together with actress and singer Selena Gomez, who has hundreds of millions of fans worldwide, and Spanish actress Karlos Sofía Gascón, who is called the film discovery of the year, created a gripping story from the very first frame, which became the best European film of 2024 and won as many as four Golden Globes, including for best musical or comedy film. The powerful foundation of the film was the captivating acting, which was noticed not only by the Golden Globes, but also by the jury of the Cannes Festival, which awarded the prize for best acting ensemble.
Captivating: from plastic movements to facial expressions
Until now, Z. Saldana was known for her roles in such Hollywood hits as "Incarnation", "Incarnation: The Way of Water", "Avengers: Infinity War", "Avengers: Endgame", which are among the top ten highest-grossing films of all time. By the way, after winning the "Golden Globe", "Incarnation" director James Cameron congratulated her with a personal message, writing that he had always believed in her talent.
"However, the actress has always been curious to try herself in films where she can apply her dancing and singing skills. "Emilia Perez" was a perfect fit because I could also sing in my native Spanish," admits Z. Saldana.
In the musical thriller "Emilija Perez", Z. Saldana's performances are eye-catching - in one of the film's episodes, which resembles a three-minute video clip, everything the actress is capable of is shown - from plastic, almost acrobatic movements to minimalist facial expressions that reflect the character's experiences.
Special experiences in filming
"I keep reminding myself that everything that happened while filming Emilia Perez was special. I had forgotten that I could act for myself, and how to do that. J. Audiard gave me a magical opportunity," Saldana revealed in an interview, sending heartfelt thanks to the director at the Golden Globes ceremony.
The mother of three is open about her desire to make friends with women from all over the world, from all walks of life and backgrounds, more than ever. She fulfilled this desire while filming Audiard's musical thriller.
"The women in the film are wild and wild, but at the same time I felt a lot of empathy from them. They are very close to me, I got a lot of energy and inspiration from them all," says Saldana about the filming.
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