Zoe Saldaña, known for her iconic roles in science fiction blockbusters, expressed her concerns about being pigeonholed in the genre.

She does, however, give credit to James Cameron, the director of Avatarfor helping her land one of these key roles.

Saldaña reflected on her journey and highlighted her work at a BFI London Film Festival event Avatar, Star TrekAnd Guardians of the Galaxy.

She revealed how JJ Abrams attended the Avatar set, which led to her casting Star Trek.

“I knew he was casting for Star Trek,” Saldaña began.

“He and Jim were talking and they came to set and Jim let him hold his little camera that he had built. And I remember talking to JJ and he said, 'I'll call you, I really want that.' a conversation with you.' And then he walks away. And Jim comes over and says, 'I just booked your next job.'”

Despite initial fears of being typecast, Saldaña found herself drawn to Gamora, the anti-hero character of Guardians of the Galaxy.

“I went into Guardians very afraid of being pigeonholed… But when I read the script, there was something about the anti-hero, the a-hole who saves the day, that I still grudgingly had never seen before.”

She also shared how Steven Spielberg restored her faith in the film industry after a difficult experience on the set of Pirates of the Caribbean.

“The crew, the cast is great 99 percent of the time… But if the studio, the producers and the director… if they don't show kindness, attentiveness and consideration, then that can happen in this big production case turned into a really bad experience.

Collaboration with Spielberg The terminal has reignited her passion. “After I did Pirates, he restored my faith,” she noted.

The actress spoke emotionally about her recent Cannes win for Emilia Pérez and expressed her gratitude for the validation. “I didn't even know how much I needed it so much… Sometimes you feel like you're just throwing spaghetti at the wall hoping something will stick. This visibility made me understand how invisible I had felt for so many years.”

The BFI London Film Festival presents Emilia Perezruns from October 9th to 20th.