Mommy-to-be and huge movie star Zoe Saldana had a chance to meet us bloggers for a lil one on one out in Los Angeles during our Guardians of the Galaxy junket! When she arrived to our room to meet us, she was drop dead gorgeous in person! She has a beautiful smile and I could tell right away that she was expecting but she hadn’t confirmed anything at the time of our interview. Now a lil over a week later, she has confirmed the rumors and its said that her and her husband are expecting twins, congrats to her. Come inside to read how she felt about getting into character for her role as Gamora, being a role model and so much more!
The first time you saw yourself in full makeup what was that like for you?
[LAUGHS] And they make me wear these con– like at first we tested with these contact lenses that just made me look like a lizard. I’m like I do look like a lizard?
How long is the makeup process?
4½ to 5 hours, but then I would come to set and I would look good. You know Dave and I would look good– Karen wanted to shave her head. You know like I can’t complain. Like I, I can only do that like with my Makeup Artist was there like in my trailer or on the– or like to my husband when I really get home going, “Conyo! I didn’t– ”.
It was green everywhere. Like on the pillow and the tub. My dog was green. [LAUGHS] It was crazy.
What kind of training did you do for your role?
Yes I pull out of the everything that I see in life and um so when I said– when I’m sort of pondering that I was gonna’ do Gomorrah, like should I?” It was mainly my decision came because
of James Gunn. Um there’s just something about him that, that I
just– I don’t know. You talk to him and you just go, “He’s, he’s special. Like he knows what he’s doing.”
There’s a confidence in his word that you know he’s gonna’ keep his word as well. He’s going to deliver and it felt really, really good. And that, that said I was like, “Okay how am I gonna’ make this character different from all the other action characters that I’ve done before?” And um my husband’s an Artist and we were meeting with a colleague of his who was sharing, sharing with us uh her latest work.
That she’s not– it’s not yet ready to share to the world, but it was like this thing that she shot on 65 uh frames per second of this Spanish Bull Fighter fighting in front of like this Picasso painting. And, and um and she shot– she shoots him one shot all slow motion. And the way this man is dancing and it’s this after seduction for the Bull in order to make the Bull just basically run to his death.
I thought that’s Gamora and she’s a Bull Fighter. She’s not gonna’ be like a– like a, a um a Marshal Artist. You know she’s not gonna’ land like all the characters and all the action figures. Like all the Marvel comics. It’s not gonna’ be that. She’s gonna’ do– she’s gonna’ fend. She’s gonna’ be a very graceful sword fighter. Very, very [S/L: Alantiqua] like we say.
And um so I just kinda’ added those little twists and then I thought well she’s an orphan. She was taken from her planet. Um so kind of reminding me of The Lost Boys of Sudan. It’s children that taken and forced into a life of crime and violence and deep, deep they’re good people.
Uh they were meant for greatness and they just– their path was just completely erased before it’s even begun. And I thought well that’s Gomorrah and she’s just trying to give herself a last chance of life to get out. So I don’t– even though like on the surface it is a Marvel movie, and it’s comedy, and it’s this and it’s all these jokes.
I can’t, I can’t come from that place. I, I– it’s unnatural to me. I have to come from a very real place and she was a real person. Whatever happens to her, whatever she’s been through is real. Therefore, that’s something that I have to think about.
And once I toss all these ideas to James he’s like, “Yup, yup, yup.” [LAUGHS] Yeah, yeah, yeah. I like that, I like that. So we were in.
So how much of the stunts were you vs. a double?
50/50. Oh baby I’m not gonna’ jump the way she– the way Gomorrah jumps. I’m like, “Well you’re jump– you’re gonna’ jump me from here to here.” And I’m like– and we’re like on a 4th– you know like on 3rd story. And I’m gonna’ jump from– and there’s nothing– nu’in but metal and so she’s on a wire. I’m like, “No, no, no. Let Chloe do it.”
And it was great. Her name is Chloe, my name is Zoe. She was fabulous. You can actually see her on You Tube. She um, she does a lot of work with staff and she’s an amazing Marshal Artist and her kicks are amazing. So she wears contacts and stuff. So was brilliant. I knew that Gomorrah was in good hands.
How does working on this action film compare with say romantic comedies?
I mean budget is different. You know they’re very different. It’s like they’re, they’re– this one is much more alive. So there’s a lot more to do. Um there’s a lot more rehearsals, a lot more training. Um but I like doing those romantic comedies. I kinda’ wanna’ do more of them you know. I just wanna’ find the right ones.
I just have better experiences when I work with these types of Directors. I just– maybe ‘cause deep, deep down I’m very–
a world kindred] spirit you know. I always say that if I was at a barbecue and James Cameron, J.J. Abrams, and Steven Spielberg, and James Gunn like they were there.
And have nothing to do with this perf– like this business. We were just somewhere else in the world and we were all invited to the same barbecue we would find a way. We would end up all talking together or me, at least, eavesdropping on the– on that group. [LAUGHS] More than any other group.
I just find people like that so interesting and, and they challenge me in the way that I like to be challenged. So these movies I enjoy more because it’s what I like, where my passion and my heart is.
I love romantic comedies, but I wouldn’t be able to stay in bed all day and just watch like– have like a romantic comedy marathon.
I just couldn’t do it. Maybe with my sisterrrrrr– with one of them. ‘Cause only one of them would. And the other one probably like not even show up. She’s too young..
