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Zoe Saldana Says She Has to Work ‘Twice As Hard’ Because of Her Race

Posted byBy Tia Berger | Published on: CommentsComments (0)
Zoe Saldana

Actress Zoe Saldana (Cosmopolitan/ Max Abadian)

Actress Zoe Saldana revealed to Cosmopolitan Magazine in a recent interview how her race forced her to work harder in Hollywood.

The 36-year-old actress who’s of Puerto Rican and Dominican decent kept it all the way honest about her career struggles as a woman of color.

“I’m not going to sugar-coat it for you. Ask any artist of color if they feel like they have to work harder. I don’t mean that we deserve any special treatment – I don’t want anybody’s sympathy,” she exclaimed.

The mother of two explained that working hard in Hollywood just didn’t cut it because of her brown-flesh skin tone. “I do encourage empathy because you do have to work twice as hard to make someone in a position of power who has the power to f–k with your life and your dreams see why they should hire you, and why you are the right person for the role,” she said.

Nevertheless, this is not Saldana’s first time opening up about her being a woman of color. In 2016, she was bashed by fans who criticized her leading role as singer Nina Simone and claimed she wasn’t Black enough.

“There’s no one way to be black… I’m black the way I know how to be. You have no idea who I am. I am black. I’m raising black men,” the actress responded at the time via Twitter to the criticism.

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