Zoe Saldana is an American actress who is best known for her play of Neytiri, the warrior princess in James Cameron's Avatar—the highest-grossing film of all time. She had her breakthrough role in the 2000 film Center Stage, and later gained prominence for her roles as Anamaria in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. She stars in the new action film Columbiana as an assassin who wants revenge on the baddies who murdered her parents.

Born as Zoe Yadira Saldaña Nazario in Passaic, New Jersey, United States, she spent her early childhood in Queens, New York. At 10, she moved with her family to the Dominican Republic where she took ballet at one of the country's most prestigious dancing schools. After returning to the United States at age 17, she began performing with the Faces theater troupe in New York. Her dance training, coupled with her acting experience, greatly helped her land her first big screen role as Eva, the talented and headstrong ballet dancer in the 2000 film Center Stage.