Zoe Saldana Slips Back Into Guardians of the Galaxy Suit After Having Twins: 'It Pays Off to Work Hard!'

Mission accomplished!

Zoe Saldana has been working so hard to get back into pre-baby shape since welcoming twins Cy Aridio and Bowie Ezio on Thanksgiving last year. And recently, the actress reached a mini milestone and enjoyed the fruits of her hard labor.

"Holy S---! You guys, I had to share this, this is one of the old #guardiansofthegalaxy costumes that I wore back in 2013. After twins I can't believe I was able to slip into this," Saldana, 37, posted on Instagram showing off her figure in her character Gamora's suit. "It pays off to work hard! I mean it mommies of the world, if I did it you can too."

And the mother of two isn't teasing any spoilers from the forthcoming Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 sequel.

"@marvel and @jamesgunn don't be mad, I'm not showing anything that hasn't been seen before... besides, aren't we designing new stuff?"

In addition to sharing her preparations to reprise her role as the green-skinned leading lady, Saldana had been updating fans about her post-baby fitness routines.

The star described her pregnancy as "a very challenging experience when it pertains to my body," also revealing that she had weighed 185 lbs. at her heaviest in a Facebook post back in April.

"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," she continued. "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!"

Zoe Saldana Dishes On The Hardships Of Being A Working Mom — This Lady's Gotta 'Pay Bills' Y'all!

Zoe Saldana may be a successful actress, but she's just like all the other mommas out there!

On April 2, Zoe opened up her post-baby body and how she's dealing with the prospect of going back to work after giving birth to her twin boys, Cy and Bowie, four months ago.

Obviously, Saldana and her hubby, Marco Prego, are not looking forward to leaving those adorable faces behind — it's a struggle for the pair to even go out on date nights!

The Guardians of the Galaxy star revealed:

"I'm pretty sure that every parent — not just every mom — would [take time off] as long as your work doesn't suffer. But we have to pay bills and at the end of the day, I think that's the best example we can set to our children. We're very determined and we can't just leave everything behind and just focus on them. But it's painful."

We totally get the momma's inner struggle! At the end of the day you have to do what's best for your family and sometimes what's right isn't always easy.

What IS easier for the momma, however, is staying fit:

"Whenever they are taking naps, my husband and I are doing little push-ups here and there and everything. I want to prove to myself and help people understand that sometimes you don't really need a trainer. You can do it on your own. Determination, commitment, and breastfeeding!"

Ha! Zoe makes the whole post-baby body struggle seem really simple! Good for you, girl.

Enjoy the rest of the time you have with your babies!

The Evolution of Zoe Saldana

J.J. Abrams and James Cameron are two very different directors, but they have come to agree on one thing: Zoe Saldana is damn good at what she does. From Star Trek to Avatar, 2009 marked a career-changing year that took Saldana to outer space and back. Twice. I sat down with the native New Yorker and recent LA transplant over drinks in Century City.

BL: Being a part of huge blockbusters such as Star Trek and Avatar, the pace of your life and your life in general have changed significantly. What effect has that had on you?
ZS: I’m very lucky I have a good support system around me. The only element that’s not happy in my life is my dog. He’s having a very hard time dealing with [all the traveling]. Every time I pick up my suitcase—I’ve never seen anybody have a tantrum like that. But I take time in between movies because I put so much into the characters I do that they haunt me for a while.

BL: Tell me about the experience of working on Avatar.
ZS: You know how certain things just feel like they were meant to cross your path? I feel like I was meant to work with Jim (Cameron) and [actor] Sam (Worthington) and to play someone like Neytiri because everything about her was something either I knew I could get away with, or I wanted to get away with. I wanted to work with someone who is just like I am, who doesn’t stop until it’s done. Literally, Jim is the Terminator. He will not stop!

BL: You lived in the Dominican Republic for seven years growing up. How difficult was it to refamiliarize yourself with American culture when you came back?
ZS: My shock was how little I knew about Tupac Shakur and Biggie [Smalls]. Being originally from New York, that was unacceptable. When I came back I had missed out on so much of that hip-hop culture that had infiltrated New York. When I left we were dancing to Debbie Gibson! When I came back we were dancing to [Saldana starts to rap the Biggie song “Juicy”] “It was all a dream.” It definitely took some time to catch up on that.

BL: OK, so you can rap Biggie, what other music do you love?
ZS: Jay-Z’s new album blows my mind. Hearing “Empire State of Mind” definitely had an effect on me. And lets talk about Lady Gaga. It took me a full year to get into the whole “Gaga-mania,” but I love the fact she is being herself, and even with all the attention she is getting the one thing we can all concur on is she is an artist. Her videos are works of art.

BL: We are both from New York City but have relocated to LA for whatever reason. Do you have moments when you realize—even though you miss home—you know you’re supposed to be here right now?
ZS: I feel like I just had to move to LA at the right time. If you are working in this business, you have to have sufficient maturity to understand that what you see, what you are being seduced by, isn’t real. When you are very young and you think it’s real, it’s easy to become lost. You have to know yourself and be very honest with yourself. I knew if I moved here at an earlier stage in my life I could have been susceptible to fall victim to that; it’s just so much fun and feels so good. But now that I’m older, want more space, have priorities and want a house and a family, LA is the best place to move because literally, work is here. All the producers are here. And let’s face it— Hollywood is amazing.

Zoe Saldana Reveals She "Was a Gentleman" and Put Marco Perego First in Their Kids' Names

Just a name? Zoe Saldana stopped by Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Thursday, June 11, and marveled at the public's fascination with her husband Marco Perego's name change. 

Host Jimmy Kimmel asked the Infinitely Polar Bear actress, 36, about her recent InStyle cover story, in which she said that Perego took her last name, explaining, "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.'"

Artist Perego, 36, told his wife of two years, "Ah, Zoe, I don't give a s--t," presumably not anticipating the splash the news would make. Saldana laughed when Kimmel brought up the subject and questioned why the move was seen as so revolutionary. 

When Kimmel asked whether she "made" her husband take her name, the Rosemary's Baby star exclaimed, "No! Oh my god!"

Zoe Saldana and Marco Perego
Credit: Michael Kovac/Getty Images

"Why does it mean a woman has to like hold a gun, it's like, 'You're gonna be Saldana!'" she continued. "I took his -- why doesn't that make it in the news?"

The Crossroads actress has been famously quiet with her private life, secretly exchanging vows with Perego in the summer of 2013 and going on to welcome twins Bowie and Cy with little public fanfare.

"We hyphened, I'm Saldana-Perego and he's Perego-Saldana," continued the mother of two of her and her hubby's last names. "I was a gentleman and I allowed the boys to be Perego-Saldana. I'm like, 'Your name needs to go first. But no, it was his decision! We just let everybody be! It's like, whatever you want to do."

Watch Saldana chat about her family in the video above! Want stories like these delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up now for the Us Weekly newsletter!

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]