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Zoe Saldaña famously starred as Nyota Uhura in theStar Trekfilm series, but before her career breakthrough in that film, she was clueless as to everything about the franchise. Her introduction to the world of Trekkies was through director Steven Spielberg.
Saldaña was cast in Spielberg’s 2004 filmThe Terminalas Dolores, an immigration officer obsessed withStar Trek. Because of her character’s personality, the actress did a lot of research until her popularity as Dolores the Trekkie became her advantage in landing a role in J.J. Abrams’ 2009Star Trekinstallment.
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Zoe Saldaña Did Not Know Anything AboutStar Trek
In an interview withTrekMovie, actressZoe Saldañaconfessed that she had no idea about anythingStar Trekuntil she starred inSteven Spielberg’s movie. Her character was pretty much a Trekkie, and she had to embody someone who is obsessed with the franchise.
“I didn’t even know what the word ‘Trekkie’ meant. So I didn’t know what conventions were. I knew of Star Trek, but not extensively. So part of doing my research to have the feel to be a Trekkie and to go to these conventions.”
Part of her character study was to watch the previousStar Trekfilms. She recalled feeling inspired by the franchise that even after many years, it has a loyal following.
“I saw a couple of the episodes, and I saw Trekkies 1 and 2, and I remember watching it, and the people around me were sort of laughing at everything, and I felt so overwhelmed, and I felt so happy that I remember thinking, ‘I want to be like that, I want to be so passionate about something that I incorporate it in my everyday life and it is the reason I wake up and it fulfills me.’”
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TheGuardians of the Galaxystar’s appreciation for the fandom and the movies became her leverage in bagging the role of Nyota Uhura in 2009’sStar Trek. Saldaña also shared that Spielberg visited the set and bragged to everyone that he taught the actress how to do the Vulcan salute.
“It was through the fans that I became very, very curious. What is it about this show and these characters and these stories that drew people to keep it alive after forty-some years after only a few seasons?”
Star Trekhas an impressive 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The movie also grossed over $385 million against a production budget of $150 million.
Zoe Saldaña Wants To Do One MoreStar TrekFilm
In her conversation withComic Book, Zoe Saldaña revealed she is aware of the reports of a brewingStar Trekinstallment. She was only concerned that the older cast would get replaced by younger actors.
“I just heard that they’re gearing up to do a new one with a younger sort of, take on it. Like it’s been off. I don’t know if it’s from the before or the after, but that they really still hope to grab all of us veterans and bring us back for one last round.”
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The actress ultimately professed her enthusiasm to return to the franchise for one last film. It would certainly take a lot of effort to bring the entire team back, but she is not losing hope.
“Listen, I know it’s a lot to wrangle a whole bunch of people with busy schedules. But, working with J.J. Abrams, and for J.J. Abrams at Bad Robot was always just a wonderful and beautiful experience for me. So, if I get to do that one last time, I would be so grateful.”
Saldaña truly owes Steven Spielberg her involvement inStar Trek, the franchise that helped launch her career and made her one of the highest-paid actresses in Hollywood.
Star Trekis available to stream via Netflix.
Ariane Cruz
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3532
Ariane Cruz is a Senior Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on TV shows with over 3,000 articles published. Her love for pop culture and the creative arts fuels her passion to deliver engaging and informative stories. Her daily consumption of films, shows, and books keeps her energized for the day, along with her mission to serve as the bridge between fans and their favorite franchises.
