Zoë Saldana Zoë Saldana is an American actress and model who played in , , and . She also voiced the character for the " " video game . Saldana took over the role from Nichelle Nichols , who played the role on , , and in six feature films . Saldana is pictured on cards # 54 " Cadet N . Uhura " and # 99 " Communications Officer N . Uhura " of the virtual collectible card battle game " " . In addition to playing Uhura , Saldana is known for her role as Na ' vi princess Neytiri in ' s science fiction epic " Avatar " , which is currently the highest - grossing film of all time . She is also known for her work in such films as " Pirates of the Caribbean : The Curse of the Black Pearl " , " Drumline " , " The Terminal " , " Guess Who " , " The Losers " , " Colombiana " and " Guardians of the Galaxy " . Early life and career . Saldana was born Zoë Yadira Zaldaña Nazario in New Jersey to immigrants from the Dominican Republic and raised in Queens , New York . After her father ' s death in a car accident when she was nine , Saldana and her sisters moved with their mother to the Dominican Republic . While in the Republic , Saldana took ballet lessons . She ultimately returned to the United States and joined the Faces Theater Program in Brooklyn , New York . While there , she won an uncredited appearance in a 1999 episode of " Law & Order " , the long - running NBC series that was executive produced by Rene Balcer . She left the Faces program after making her feature film debut in the 2000 musical drama " Center Stage " , co - starring actress Donna Murphy . Film work . 2000 - 2004 . Following " Center Stage " , Saldana worked alongside Kirsten Dunst in the 2001 high school comedy " Get Over It " . She then acted with Kim Cattrall in 2002 ' s " Crossroads " . That same year , she played the female lead in the musical romantic comedy " Drumline " , for which she shared an MTV Movie Award nomination for Best Kiss with her co - star . Saldana next appeared as Anamarie in Disney ' s 2003 blockbuster " Pirates of the Caribbean : The Curse of the Black Pearl " ( with Lee Arenberg , Greg Ellis and Guy Siner ) . She then had a supporting role in ' s 2004 comic drama " The Terminal " , in which she played an airport immigration officer who happened to be a devout Trekkie . Jude Ciccolella and Michael Nouri also had roles in this film . 2005 - 2009 . In the 2005 independent film " Constellation " , Saldana played the daughter of Clarence Williams III ' s character and also co - starred with fellow " Star Trek " players David Clennon , Alec Newman , and Gabrielle Union . Later , Saldana starred in the 2005 comedy " Guess Who " ( co - starring Robert Curtis Brown ) as an African - American woman who brings home a white fiancé . This role earned her nominations from at least four different organizations : the Black Movie Awards , the Black Reel Awards , the Image Awards , and the Teen Choice Awards . Her subsequent film credits include " Dirty Deeds " ( 2005 , with Michael Bofshever ) , " Premium " ( 2006 , with William Sadler ) , " Ways of the Flesh " ( 2006 , with Irene Tsu ) , and " Blackout " ( 2007 , with Saul Rubinek ) . In 2008 , she appeared in the thriller " Vantage Point " , which also featured Bruce McGill . The following year , she starred in another thriller , " The Skeptic " , in which she played a psychic . Saldana was working on James Cameron ' s blockbuster film " Avatar " when Abrams offered her " Star Trek " . Because she was already committed to a project and had a " lack of knowledge about " Star Trek " , " Saldana was reluctant to accept the role of Uhura . Despite the scheduling issues it would cause , Cameron insisted that Saldana take the role , even going so far as to invite Abrams to the set to discuss the situation . After finishing " Star Trek " , Saldana completed her work on " Avatar " , in which she starred as a Na ' vi woman named Neytiri , a completely computer - generated character . Scott Lawrence and Peter Mensah also had roles in the film , while James Horner composed the score . Released in December 2009 , " Avatar " is now the highest - grossing movie in the world ( not accounting for inflation ) . Saldana has signed on to appear in any potential sequels to the film . In 2010 , she received a Saturn Award nomination for Best Actress for her performance in " Avatar " . In addition , Saldana received nominations for Best Female Performance and Best Kiss , shared with , at the 2010 MTV Movie Award s for her work on " Avatar " . 2010 and beyond . Saldana was seen in three major motion pictures released in 2010 . The first was the comedy remake " Death at a Funeral " , which also featured Ron Glass . The week after " Death at a Funeral " was released , Saldana was seen in the action film " The Losers " . Based on the comic books published by DC Comics ' Vertigo imprint , " The Losers " had Saldana starring opposite guest actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan . The third major 2010 film featuring Saldana , and the most popular at the box office , was the crime thriller " Takers " . In addition to those films , Saldana acted alongside Greg Grunberg in the short film " Idiots " and starred in the independent comedy - drama " Burning Palms " , which co - starred Jason Brooks and Tom Wright . More recently Saldana played the lead role , Cataleya Restrepo , in the 2011 action thriller " Colombiana " , for which she received nominations as Best Actress at the Image Awards and the Black Reel Awards . Her co - stars in this film included Jordi Mollà , who was considered for the role of in " Star Trek Into Darkness " before the part went to Benedict Cumberbatch . In 2012 , Saldana was seen in the romantic drama " The Words " , which also featured Michael McKean , followed by the crime thriller " Blood Ties " , which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2013 . She recently completed filming on the biographical drama " Nina " ( 2013 , with Spencer Garrett ) , in which she stars as legendary musician . She will also be seen in the ensemble thriller " Out of the Furnace " ( 2013 ) and wrapped filming on " Infinitely Polar Bear " , a comedy that is being executive produced by J . J . Abrams and Bryan Burk through Bad Robot and is set for a 2014 release . In 2014 , Saldana portrayed Gamora in Marvel Studios ' science fiction caper film " Guardians of the Galaxy " , co - starring Chris Pratt and featuring Gregg Henry and Stephen Blackehart . She is expected to reprise the role in the 2017 sequel , and in the 2018 Marvel film " Avengers : Infinity War " together with Benedict Cumberbatch and Chris Hemsworth . Also that year , Saldana starred in the title role of the NBC remake of the thriller " Rosemary ' s Baby " costarring Jason Isaacs . The original featured in the cast , Gail Bonney and Elisha Cook . Television . Following her appearance on " Law & Order " , Saldana guest - starred in a 2004 episode of its spin - off series , " Law & Order : Special Victims Unit " . In 2006 , Saldana worked with " Star Trek " director and producer J . J . Abrams and executive producer Bryan Burk for the first time when she had a recurring role on the short - lived television series " Six Degrees " . On 22 January 2010 , Saldana participated in the fund - raising program " Hope for Haiti Now : A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief " . She was among the celebrities who operated the phones for the benefit , along with her " Star Trek " co - stars Tyler Perry and Chris Pine , actress Jeri Ryan , actor Christian Slater , and Robin Williams . Saldana served as presenter for the categories Best Animated Short , Best Documentary Short , and Best Live Action Short at the 82nd Annual Academy Award s in 2010 . Two films she was in , " Star Trek " and " Avatar " , were nominated in various categories at these awards . Awards . In 2013 , Saldana received a nomination at the Teen Choice Award s in the category Choice Summer Movie Star : Female for her appearance in " Star Trek Into Darkness " . She previously received nominations in 2005 , as Choice Movie Breakout Performance – Female for " Guess Who " , 2009 , as Choice Movie Actress : Action Adventure for " Star Trek " , and 2010 , as Choice Movie Actress : Action Adventure for " The Losers " and Choice Movie Actress : Comedy for " Death at a Funeral " and won Teen Choice Awards in 2010 in the category Choice Movie Actress : Sci - Fi for her work on " Avatar " and in 2012 in the category Choice Movie Actress : Action for " Colombiana " . Her portrayal of Neytiri in " Avatar " also earned Saldana a Visual Effects Society Award in the category Outstanding Animated Character in a Live Action Feature Motion Picture in 2010 , a SFX Award nomination for Best Actress in 2011 , MTV Movie Award nominations in the categories Best Kiss and Best Female Performance in 2010 , Blimp Award nominations in the categories Favorite Movie Actress and Cutest Couple at the 2010 Kid ' s Choice Awards , an Empire Award for Best Actress in 2010 , 2010 nominations at the Image Awards , Black Reel Awards and BET Awards and a Saturn Award in 2010 as Best Actress . For " Star Trek " , she received a 2009 ALMA Award nomination as Best Actress in Film , a Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Ensemble Cast in 2009 , a Broadcast Film Critics Association Award nomination for Best Ensemble Acting in 2010 , and a Washington DC Area Film Critics Association Award nomination for Best Ensemble in 2009 .