Zoe Saldana's Husband Takes Her Name, Doesn't Care What You Think

Zoe Saldana’s husband doesn’t “give a sheet” what people say about his decision to take the actress’ last name.

The “Guardians of The Galaxy” star sits beaming on the cover of the July issue of InStyle magazine, in which she reveals how Italian artist Marco Perego took her name after the two secretly married in the summer of 2013. Perego, it turns out, made the progressive decision in spite of his wife’s doubts.

“I tried to talk him out of it. I told him, ‘If you use my name, you’re going to be emasculated by your community of artists, by your Latin community of men, by the world'," the star told InStyle. “But Marco looks up at me and says [she puts on a cute Italian accent], ‘Ah, Zoe, I don’t give a sheet.’”

(Update Below)

In the interview, which hits newsstands on June 15, the actress also talks about how motherhood has changed her marriage and her thoughts on what her post-pregnancy body should be like.

“I don’t want to get back to where I used to be,” Saldana told InStyle. “I want to feel healthy, and not just fit into the old jeans I used to wear. I’m a woman now. My body has changed forever. It’s softer... and stronger.”

Saldana and her husband welcomed their twin boys, Cy Ardio and Bowie Ezio, in November. Since then, the first-time mom has been vocal on social media about her struggles. Not only has she turned to Twitter for breastfeeding advice, but she alsoopened up on Facebook in April about the “dramatic changes” her body underwent, inside and out, after the birth of her sons.

As you all know, we welcomed twin boys last November. Yes, by far, the most amazing experience of my life, but also a very challenging experience when it pertains to my body. I'm sure moms across the world (and dads sometimes) can identify with what I'm about to say.

Your body changes dramatically, inside and out. You grow in places you never knew you could, and you are tired beyond belief. In some cases more than others, your body experiences a kind of trauma through childbirth that is difficult to explain unless you've had that experience. My case was like that, everything from my thyroid to my platelets crashed. Thank God, we are all doing great now, but my body was really bent out of shape after the boys were born. Bouncing back feels impossible, but I know it is important as a woman, and now a mommy, to not give up. I am determined to get my energy back and find balance for my body before these little guys start walking, and before I go back to work..... my clock is ticking!

The 36-year-old actress ended her long message to fans -- which you can read here in full -- by inviting other mothers to share their own struggles and support each other.

“I know many of you have gone through this or are going through it as we speak,” Saldana said in the Facebook post. “Let's do it together. Let's talk about it, hear each other out, and seek advice when we need it.”

UPDATE June 9, 6:02 p.m.: Saldana addressed her husband's decision again via a Facebook post on Monday evening. In her message, the star said she didn't quite understand why people were shocked by the news and explained why men shouldn't be afraid to do what her husband did.

Personal life

In June 2010, Saldana became engaged to her longtime boyfriend Keith Britton, an actor and CEO of My Fashion Database.[47] Saldana and Britton announced in November 2011 that they had ended their relationship after 11 years together.[48] Saldana subsequently dated actor Bradley Cooper from December 2011 to January 2013.[49][50]

In March 2013, Saldana began dating Italian artist Marco Perego. They secretly married in June 2013 in London.[51][52] In her July 2015 cover interview with InStyle, Saldana revealed that, in a reversal of tradition, Perego adopted her surname upon marriage.[53][54] Thereafter, Zoe became Zoe Saldana-Perego or Zoe Perego and Marco became Marco Perego-Saldana or Marco Saldana. Their children will be Perego-Saldana.[55] Saldana and Perego have twin sons, Bowie Ezio Perego-Saldana and Cy Aridio Perego-Saldana, born in November 2014.[56] During her pregnancy, Saldana stated that her children will be bilingual as she and her husband plan to speak both Spanish and English around them.[57]

In 2009, Saldana said she would avoid plastic surgery, telling Women's Health magazine "God as my witness, I am going to try to do everything I can to keep this ass together for as long as I possibly can—without going against nature."[17] She watches what she eats but does not diet and does Pilates regularly saying "It's the closest thing to dance."[17]

Saldana is a celebrity supporter of FINCA International, a microfinance organization.[58]

Beginnings

Saldana was still a member of FACES when she gained exposure in an episode of Law & Order (titled "Merger") which first aired in 1999.[13] Saldana's first film role was in Center Stage (2000), directed by Nicholas Hytner, about a group of young dancers from various backgrounds who enroll at the fictitious American Ballet Academy in New York City. She left school after Center Stage, subsequently appearing in the Britney Spears vehicle Crossroads (2002). The film was met with negative reviews from critics, but became some what of a box office success.[14][15] The same year Saldana started in the comedy-drama Drumline (2002), alongside Nick Cannon, which was met with generally favourable reviews.

In Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), she played Anamaria, a female pirate who signs up to join Will Turner and Mr. Gibbs for a chance to confront Jack Sparrow for stealing her ship. As to why she never appeared in any further films in the franchise, Saldana revealed that she almost quit acting following "disrespectful treatment" on set of the film.[16] She then appeared in The Terminal as Dolores Torres, an immigration officer and Star Trek fan, a role that would later help Saldana when she came to appear in J. J. Abrams' 2009 film Star Trek.[17] In 2004 she also made appearances in Haven and Temptation, both of which had little to no box office success.

In 2005, Saldana appeared in Constellation, Guess Who with Ashton Kutcher, and Dirty Deeds. She then starred in the romantic comedy-dramas Premium in 2006 and After Sex in 2007.[18] The same year Saldana starred in Blackout, a television film set in New York City during the Northeast Blackout of 2003. The film premiered at the 2007 Zurich Film Festival[19] and debuted on BET in 2008.[20] Saldana also had a small role as Angie Jones in the 2008 box office smash Vantage Point.[21]


Saldana at the "Entertainment Weekly: Wonder Women: Female Power Icons in Pop Culture" panel. Comic-Con 2009.
Saldana appeared in two high-profile roles in 2009, which both went on to raise her profile considerably.[9] She played Nyota Uhura in the film reboot Star Trek,[22] The films director J. J. Abrams asked Saldana to play the role because he had seen her previous work and liked it. Saldana had never seen the original series, though she had played a Trekkie in The Terminal (2004), but agreed to play the role after Abrams complimented her. She met with Nichelle Nichols, who explained to her how she had created Uhura's background and named the character.[23] Saldana's mother was a Star Trek fan and sent her voice mails during filming, giving advice on the role.[24] Coincidentally, it was Steven Spielberg who taught her the Vulcan salute five years earlier when he directed her in The Terminal.[17] The film was a huge box office success grossing $385.7 million.[25]

Saldana's second high profile film on 2009 was James Cameron's Avatar, in which she starred as the alien huntress Neytiri. The film was premiered by 20th Century Fox in London on December 10, and was released in the United States and Canada on December 18, grossing $27 million on its opening day and $77 million during its opening weekend in 3,461 theaters, ranking number one at the box office.[26] Avatar grossed $2.7 billion worldwide, to become the highest-grossing film of all time,[27] as well as in the United States and Canada. It also became the first film to gross more than $2 billion worldwide.[28] Avatar was well-received and accumulated an approval rating of 83% on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.[29] The film was nominated for ten Saturn Awards and won all ten at the 36th Saturn Awards ceremony. Saldana's Saturn Award for Best Actress win marked a rare occurrence for an all-CG character.[30]


Saldana at the 82nd Academy Awards, 2010
In 2010, Saldana starred in The Losers as Aisha al-Fadhil, a native Bolivian woman. For the role, she was required to gain weight, as she was expected to carry weapons around for eight hours a day.[31] In 2010, she also appeared in Takers, Death at a Funeral and Burning Palms. Her television ad for Calvin Klein's "Envy" line also debuted in 2010.[32] In 2011, Saldana starred in the romantic comedy The Heart Specialist and played Cataleya Restrepo, a professional assassin, in the crime drama Colombiana. While the latter film was met with negative reviews from critics, Saldana's performance was praised.[33] In 2012, she starred in the romantic drama film The Words, which also received negative reviews from critics and saw little success at the box office.[34][35]

In 2013, Saldana reprised her role as Uhura in Star Trek Into Darkness, the sequel to the 2009 Star Trek. Like the previous film, it was a box office success ending its North American theatrical run with a box office total of $228,778,661, placing it as the 11th highest-grossing film for 2013.[36] It also earned $467,365,246 worldwide, ranking it in 14th place for 2013 and making it the highest-grossing film of the franchise.[37] Saldana also voiced her character in the 2013 release of the Star Trek video game.

In 2014, Saldana played Gamora in the hit film Guardians of the Galaxy,[38][39] Saldana said that she became Gamora through make-up rather than computer generated imagery (CGI) or performance capture.[40] The film became the third highest-grossing film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, behind The Avengers and Iron Man 3.[41] It was the third highest-grossing 2014 film (behind Transformers: Age of Extinction and The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies) and the highest-grossing superhero film of 2014.[42][43] In May 2014, she starred in Rosemary's Baby, a television miniseries adaptation of Ira Levin's best-selling horror novel. Saldana also co-produced the four-hour, two-part show.[44]

Saldana will star in Nina, an upcoming biopic about the jazz musician Nina Simone set to be released in 2015. The film depicts the late singer's rise to fame and relationship with her manager Clifton Henderson.[45] Saldana will also reprise her role of Neytiri in Avatar 2 in 2017. A sequel to her 2011 film Colombiana is in development but she hasn't confirmed about reprising her role yet. She will also reprise her role as Gamora in the Guardians Of The Galaxy sequel to be released in May 2017. [46]

Zoe Saldana Biography

Zoe Saldana is a trained dancer who's become a leading actress in Hollywood, having starred in blockbusters like Pirates of the Caribbean, Star Trek and Avatar.

IN THESE GROUPS

• FAMOUS PEOPLE IN FILM
• FAMOUS MODELS
• AFRICAN-AMERICAN BIOPICS
• FAMOUS PEOPLE NAMED SALDANA

1 of 3

  

QUOTES

“I got so much out of being a dancer. The stillness of it. The discipline. The dedication.”

—Zoe Saldana

Synopsis

Born on June 19, 1978 in Passaic, New Jersey, and partly raised in the Dominican Republic, the bilingual Zoe Saldana started her acting career in films like Crossroads, Drumline, The Terminal and Pirates of the Caribbean. After years of diverse work, in 2009 she landed leading roles in the blockbusters Star Trek and Avatar. She's also been a model for Avon, the Gap and Calvin Klein.

Early Life

Born in Passaic, New Jersey on June 19, 1978, Zoe Saldana grew up in Queens to a mixed ethnic heritage, with her mother being of Puerto Rican descent and her father hailing from the Dominican Republic. At the age of 9, her father died in a car accident, and her mother subsequently moved Saldana and her two sisters Cisely and Mariel to the Dominican Republic, where they lived with their grandparents.

The three siblings grew up very close while Saldana studied a variety of dance forms at ECOS Espacio de Danza Academy, developing a particular fondness for ballet. She moved back to New York at 17 and continued dancing while also joining Faces, a teen-oriented theater group, and the New York Youth Theater, through which she was discovered by a talent agent.

Acting Debut

Following a guest spot on Law & Order, Saldana made her movie acting debut appropriately enough with the dance drama Center Stage, which portrayed a group of ballet students training at an academy. She then snagged supporting roles over the following years in a diverse array of films. After being featured in the teen comedy Get Over It!, the Britney Spearsvehicle Crossroads and the hip-hop thriller Snipes, Saldana portrayed the captain of a dance team in the 2002 film Drumline. She then appeared in 2003 in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl as Anamaria, a former lover of Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) who gives him a wallop for his roguish behavior. In 2004, she appeared in the drama The Terminal with Tom Hanks, as well as Haven.

During the mid-2000s, Saldana continued to act in a number of ensemble films, both commercial and indie, and appeared on TV with roles in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Six Degrees. In 2005, she starred in Guess Who, a comedic update of the Sidney Poitier and Spencer Tracy classicGuess Who's Coming to Dinner; the newer version switched the racial roles of the original, with Bernie Mac as Saldana's wary African-American father and Ashton Kutcher as her beleaguered white fiancé. She was also later featured in the 2008 thriller Vantage Point.

'Star Trek' and 'Avatar'

Two-thousand nine was a blockbuster year for Saldana's career. After the thriller The Skeptic, Saldana starred in the remake of Star Trek by directorJ.J. Abrams, in which she played Communications Officer Uhura. In December 2009, she starred as Neytiri, an alien warrior, in the 3D sci-fi epicAvatar, which would go on to become the world's highest-grossing film. Director James Cameron used performance capture technology to create Saldana's computer-generated character, driven by her bodily movements and facial expressions in a studio setting. Saldana spent months training for the athletic role, taking up horseback riding, archery and wushu martial arts.

The following year, Saldana starred in the ensemble comedic remake Death at a Funeral with Chris Rock and Martin Lawrence, as well as two action capers—The Losers and Takers—and the comedic Burning Palms. In 2011, she landed the sole lead role in Colombiana, which featured Saldana as an assassin out to avenge the murder of her parents.

Another Hit With 'Guardians'

The year 2012 saw Saldana making news off-screen by rushing to the aid of a woman who was injured in a car crash. Later that year, The Words was released, a return to serious drama for the actress about a struggling writer, portrayed by Bradley Cooper, who plagiarizes another person's work. She's also co-directed episodes for The Rope, a web series developed by Vin Diesel about bouncers and the world of nightlife.

Saldana returned to the Star Trek franchise with the 2013 sequel Into Darkness. And the following year she added comic-book hero to her list of roles, portraying the green-skinned assassin Gamora in Marvel's well-received Guardians of the Galaxy, which broke August's domestic box office records for debut earnings. The project also co-starred Diesel and Cooper, among others. 

Advertisement — Continue reading below

Modeling Career

Outside of acting, Saldana has a strong interest in fashion. She has appeared in Calvin Klein lingerie commercials, in which she's performed monologues offering tidbits on vulnerability, mystery and strength. She's also appeared as a spokesperson for Avon, and modeled with her sisters in a Gap print ad andW magazine editorial. Saldana has appeared in many other magazines as well, including Elle, Vanity Fair, Latina, GQ Italia, Essence, Nylon and InStyle.

Personal Life

Saldana was reportedly romantically linked with Cooper after her relationship ended with longtime boyfriend, actor Keith Britton, with whom she partnered to found the website for My Fashion Database. In 2013, Saldana married Marco Perego and in 2014 the couple welcomed twins boys. 

Zoe Saldana

Saldana was born Zoe Yadira Saldaña Nazario[1] in Passaic, New Jersey.[2][3] Her father, Aridio Saldaña, was from the Dominican Republic, while her mother, Asalia Nazario, is from Puerto Rico. Saldana also has Haitian and Lebanese roots.[4][5] She has often spoken of her pride in her ethnicity, and has said: "It doesn't matter how much backlash I will get for it; I will honor and respect my black community because that's who I am."[6] The majority of her early childhood she spent growing up in Jackson Heights, Queens, New York, and her native languages are both English and Spanish. She has two sisters, named Cisely and Mariel, and a half-brother named Nipo, known as "Nipo 809", who is a Dominican artist and producer.[7]

Her father died in a car crash when she was nine years old,[8] and Saldaña and her mother subsequently moved to the Dominican Republic. There, Saldaña discovered her love of dance and soon enrolled in the ECOS Espacio de Danza Academy; she studied various forms of dance [2][7][9][10] but describes ballet as her first passion.[7][11] She told Vanity Fair that she quit ballet because she did not have the feet and had too much pride and ambition to just be in the corps de ballet.[11] The family returned to New York after her sophomore year in high school.[11] In 1995, she began performing with the FACES theater group in Brooklyn,[12] which put on plays geared toward providing positive messages for teens via themes dealing with issues such as substance abuse and adolescent sexuality. Concurrently, she performed with the New York Youth Theater; her appearance in their production of Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat led a talent agency to recruit her. Her previous dance training, and her acting experience, helped her land her first film role, playing Eva Rodriguez, the talented and headstrong ballet student in the film Center Stage (2000).[2][9]