There is
always this
"narrowing
down" of
choice. The
idea of
pinpointing
your actions
to just one
thing in
particular.
Talking with
successful
actress Zoe
Saldana you
discover she
has no one
way of doing
things and
no one genre
to inspire.
She's a
person of
many talents
that inspire
lots of
people. In
her latest
film, The
Losers Zoe
talks about
everything
from gun
handling to
how she
decides to
take on a
particular
role.
Avatar is
the most
successful
film in
history. How
does your
role in the
film
attribute to
your career
as of now?
Zoe:
I haven't
really
thought of
it that way.
I take it
day to day.
I count my
blessings
every day. I
know I want
to be happy.
I want to
continue
being
employed
through my
art. I don't
like to get
ahead of
myself and
ask for too
much.
How do you
go about
choosing
your next
role?
Zoe:
If they
capture me.
if they
entice me. I
don't want
to know the
budget I
just want a
good script.
I have a
good team.
Ii always
guide
myself. It
has worked
for me up
until now.
It goes back
to the root
of becoming
an actor. I
wanted
people to
recognize my
work before
they know
who I was. I
was a blue
alien in
Avatar. Most
actors would
freak...
cause they
wouldn't be
recognized.
I'm an
artist and
wanted to be
recognized
for my role.
"The Losers"
is based on
comic book.
Were you
familiar
with the
story or did
you have to
study up on
the subject?
Zoe:
I had to
study up to
prepare. I'm
not a comic
reader. The
entire cast
was given
the comic. I
really
enjoyed it.
They felt to
me like The
Losers is
the renegade
comic. They
do their own
thing. Their
underdogs.
Knowing what
Sylvain
wanted to do
but still
keeping it
close to the
comic we had
this freedom
to do
whatever we
wanted. At
the same
time we had
guidelines.
With the
movie it
will give
the comic
book more
notoriety
than it has
right now.
You have
been on the
cover of
several
magazines.
How has this
type of
publicity
had an
impact on
your life?
Zoe:
I'm a
private
person but
the most
aloof person
I know. Just
having a
great excuse
to get
together
with my team
(we can have
fun
artistically).
I always
promise
myself to go
out and get
the
magazine. I
love to
work. It
feels great.
I cannot
allow it to
change my
life. I like
the way that
it is. I'm
ok to just
go back home
after
Hollywood
and deal
with the
dishes.
How do you
know when a
role is
right for
you?
Zoe:
It's when
you can't
put it [the
script]
down. It's a
beautiful
affair. You
fall for
it... you
fall for the
story. It's
a fine line
that we walk
because
we're also
business
people that
in order for
me to get to
a place for
me to do
what I want
to do I have
to make
business and
career
decisions to
do that.
Once you're
there I give
it 100
percent. I
have to meet
with the
producer and
convince
them that
I'm the one
for this
role. Every
single day
I'm going to
add one more
percent to
that labor.
Whenever
that lies in
a script for
no money,
you just
commit to it
and you
never look
back.
What was it
like
training in
the sea of
testosterone?
Zoe:
I always
take
something of
my
characters
with me.
It's
inevitable.
Sometimes
they haunt
me. Aisha
was sexy and
strong and
crazy. I
wanted to
explore
that. I can
hang. I come
with it. I
don't care
if you're a
man or a
woman just
come with it
cause I'm
coming with
it. With a
woman there
is said to
be an
excuse. I'm
always the
last to cry
wolf. I
don't want
people to
think I'm so
fragile.
How did
you
approach
handling
all of
those
guns?
Zoe:
It
always
takes a
village
to raise
anything.
We had
an
amazing
export.
We
called
him
Dirty
Harry. I
threw
myself
at
Harry. I
worked
with a
stunt
coordinator
on
avatar.
We kind
of
manipulated
the
situation.
He was
the same
one that
trained
me for
this
film. He
threw me
on the
wall.
This was
the
second
project
of us
working
together.
It was
wonderful.
When you
do you
need a
village
of
people
to put
you
together.
Do you
consider
yourself
a role
model?
Zoe:
I avoid
that.
It's
about
logic
and
humanity.
I don't
pigeon
hold
myself.
I walk
into a
place
and I am
just as
special
as any
woman or
any
culture.
It's
about
feeling
equal.
An ounce
of
inspiration
is to be
absolutely
color
blind.
If you
think of
yourself
as this
category
they
will put
you
where
they
want to
put you.
The
reality
is you
don't
want to
be
associated
with a
project
or
person
that has
a narrow
mind.
That is
so
archaic.
