Zoe Saldana, 46, has a new career milestone to celebrate after winning Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role for latest film at the 82nd Golden Globe Awards.
Her first Golden Globe win notably marked the only success of a person of African background during the ceremony held on Jan. 6 in Beverly Hills.
Saldana, the Hollywood beauty is of Dominican and Puerto Rican heritage, portrays Rita, a Mexican lawyer enlisted to work for a cartel, in the musical “Emilia Pérez.”
On Twitter, “The Friend Zone Podcast” co-host Dustin Ross took note of the lack of Black talent that walked away with trophies from that night when he typed, “No Black people won tonight at the Globes?” on X.
The post was swiftly followed by a second tweet that read, “*other than Zoe Saldana?” which revived a discourse about the entertainer’s past race-related blunders. For instance, one user proclaimed, “She said she’s not black.”
Controversially, in a 2014 interview on “The Queen Latifah Show,” Saldana said, “I cannot wait until the word ethnic is erased from our everyday vocabulary.”
She explained her feelings were rooted in the fact that “in America, everything that’s not ‘American’ is ethnic, but outside of America everything that is American is ethnic. So in reality there’s no such thing as being darker or lighter when in reality you’ve just been this way your whole life.”
Baby, she don't even see herself as black hence had a nose job before Drumline. But until she does right by Nina Simone I am always going to give her side eye for doing that….
— Monique (@mo_wils805) January 6, 2025
A second critic tweeted, “Baby, she don’t even see herself as black hence had a nose job before Drumline. But until she does right by Nina Simone I am always going to give her side eye for doing that….”
Admittedly, a few years ago she was caught in a digital vortex of backlash for her portrayal of Nina Simone in the 2016 biopic. Among the expressions of outrage were comments condemning Saldana for wearing a prosthetic to make her nose appear wider and body makeup that was several shades darker than her natural complexion.
All this she said tht in an interview after Center Stage was a hit she has always identified as Latina & only adding Afro-Latina later. Was affronted whn referred to as a BW. They can miss us w tht she didn't wnt our association so y must AA prop her up let the Latino comm do so.
— Kris Hazard (@elainoharris) April 16, 2023
In 2020, the “Avatar” star expressed regret for taking on the role. “I should have never played Nina,” she said. Adding that she “should have done everything in my power with the leverage that I had 10 years ago…to cast a Black woman to plan an exceptionally perfect Black woman.”
Speaking to the press at the awards ceremony, Saldana said, “There was a moment a couple of years ago where I was sort of thinking about plan B’s. Like, do I go into a homestead and start planning a garden and baking goods? But the truth is I’m an artist through and through, and I need to create every day. If not, I just don’t know what I can do.”
Just got mad all over again. https://t.co/NZBsbS8aOR pic.twitter.com/8JF98EHLxv
— Princess | Mindfulness | Conscious Parenting (@themultiplemom) April 21, 2024
The actress was equally polarizing when she suggested that her success in the sci-fi genre with films like “Star Trek” was in part due to the fact she is not viewed as a Black woman.
“I get to imagine the unimaginable,” she said. “Science fiction has given me the ability as an artist to be colorblind and gender-blind and to imagine and reinvent myself and be the chameleon actors are supposed to be,” Saldana explained.
