Zoe Saldana Takes On Our Need To Label Everybody

Who cares what she is. Simply beautiful.

What an interesting interview. I knew I liked Zoe Saldana.

Zoe Saldana has an issue with labels — of any kind.

During a recent interview with BET, the actress discussed her role in the recently released “Star Trek: Into Darkness” film, being a black and Latina actress and the comments she made in Allure Magazine regarding her androgyny and the possibility of her raising children with a woman.

BET’s Smriti Mundhra informed Saldana that the comments made in Allure were being interpreted as her having come out as lesbian or bisexual.

Saldana responded by saying that she encourages every human being to try not to categorize or stereotype anything.

“It’s the saddest situation… It is almost impossible for us to get through one conversation with somebody at a cashier without having to go, ‘Oh is she Mexican? Oh is she gay? Or what kind of car does she drive? Or is she illegal or something?” she said.

“There are so much more things that are important besides stereotyping ourselves and limiting ourselves just by putting ourselves in little boxes.”

Watch the excerpt of the interview here. Worth watching, well because it’s Zoe, and because of what she says in her unique way.

Latinas Come In Various Shades

Zoe Yadira Saldaña Nazario, known as Zoe Saldana, is Dominican and Puerto Rican.

The Hollywood Reporter did a piece on the hottest young Latinos in Hollywood and it was very good to see that they, like Latina magazine, are very good at, recognizing that Latino and Hispanic also includes Black Hispanic people. On their list were of course two of my favorite’s Rosario Dawson and Zoe Saldana.

Kudos Hollywood Reporter.

Here is the article.

Hooray For Hollywood On This Color-Blind Casting

“The Words” comes out September 7th.

I don’t know if this movie is any good, but I am certainly glad to see a Mixed couple as the stars of it.

The movie is called “The Words” and stars Bradley Cooper and one of my favorite actresses, Zoe Saldana. The movie is about a writer, played by Cooper, at the peak of his literary success, who discovers the price he must pay for stealing another man’s work. It is supposed to be a thriller.

And best of all, it doesn’t seem to make any issue of their inter-ethnic relationship. Treats it as normal and ordinary.

Yay!

Hollywood Isn’t As Forward Thinking As You And They Think

Something is not right here.

Come on Hollywood Reporter, you’ve got to do better. An article in The Huffington Post said it well:

With Emmy nominations on the horizon (July 19th), The Hollywood Reporter (THR) hosted an Emmy roundtable panel with six talented actresses…All six are drama actresses, they’re all serious Emmy contenders for Best Actress in A Drama Series, and, all six grace the cover of this month’s THR.

Few would argue that these actresses don’t deserve to be featured on the cover…but many will wonder why there isn’t more diversity (or any diversity for that matter) on this cover.

While there aren’t many minority actresses currently starring in dramatic series, and recent TV seasons have seen a noticeable lack of diversity on camera, the question of diversity on television has been a hot topic of late, particularly with respect to the HBO series, “Girls”, which professes to reflect the lives of young adults in Brooklyn, New York – which is over 30 percent black – and yet does not feature any black actors in a leading role.

Against the backdrop of this debate, and despite minority actresses — like half-Costa Rican actress, Madeleine Stowe (ABC’s “Revenge”) – being considered as contenders for an Emmy nomination, and various actresses of color starring in hit dramas — likeKerry Washington (ABC’s “Scandal”), Lana Parrilla, who plays the evil queen on the #1 new drama of the fall (ABC’s “Once Upon A Time,”) or Sandra Oh, who continues to do great work as the badass doc Cristina Yang on ABC’s hit show, “Grey’s Anatomy,” — THR chose to only feature white actresses.

Hollywood, and California in general, likes its image as being hip and in the forefront of social issues. But as we can see, even Hollywood has a ways to go. I like what Zoe Saldana said in The Huffington Post piece:

Recently, Zoe Saldana, star of the highest grossing movie of all time (James Cameron’s “Avatar”) told The Huffington Post that there’s just not enough diversity on magazine covers, stating “There are a lot of magazines that are still sort of…that only cater to a certain demographic and only put certain people on their covers. And that’s fine – I never lose hope that one day certain big magazines can broaden their exposure of what is an American face.”

Yep. Well said Zoe. Here is the full article.

A Unique and Almost Unnoticed Box Office Moment

Zoe Saldana kicked some butt.

Very often there is talk about how Hollywood does not very often give Blacks and other minorities a chance to shine in leading roles. And likewise  how mainstream America doesn’t accept Blacks and others minorities in leading roles in the movies they prefer.

But when the contrary is true we need to acknowledge it and applaud it.

This past weekend at the Box Office, the #1 and #2 films were both films starring Black women. Despite any criticisms that may be pointed at either film, what an interesting occurrence and one that many did not take note of. The hit film, “The Help,” continued to lead the box office and stars several African-American actresses in leading roles. And the film “Columbiana” opened up strongly at the number two spot, with Black Hispanic actress Zoe Saldana playing the hero and lead role.

So yes there is still progress to be made. But let’s also note what a unique weekend it was, and that maybe that is a sign of a change happening, even if ever so slowly. Black women leading the Box Office in two different films and in very different types of roles, one as servants/maids, the other as an action hero. And both were well received. Hooray.