When Zoe Saldaña first stepped into the role of Avatar’s Neytiri, she was in her 20s. Now 47, the actor is back with the third film in James Cameron’s epic franchise, Avatar: Fire and Ash, out December 19.
“This installment of Avatar [is about] how a family can be resilient and learn to smile and love again after experiencing great loss,” Saldaña tells Vogue’s deputy editor, Taylor Antrim, and global director of social, Sam Sussman, on this Thursday’s episode of The Run-Through.
It has been, to put it mildly, an exciting year for Saldaña. In March, she won the Oscar for her performance in Jacques Audiard’s Emilia Pérez; she’s currently working on Season 3 of Lioness; she’s Vogue Mexico and Latin America’s December 2025 cover star; and she recently met Pope Leo while in Italy with her three sons. “They were so hyper,” Saldaña says. “They’re like typical 10- and eight-year-olds and can’t focus... And the moment comes and we’re right in front of him, [and] they’re gleaming.”
Saldaña has the distinction of being the first actor to star in four films that grossed over $2 billion at the box office, besides appearing in hugely popular series like the Star Trek and Pirates of the Caribbean films. But now more than ever, Saldaña says that grounding herself in her personal life is her biggest priority. Hear her talk about that—and much more!—up above.