With her roles in the Avengers<\/a> and Avatar<\/a> franchises, Zoe Salda\u00f1a has the unique status of appearing in the three highest-grossing movies of all time. But, despite such box-office clout, the American actor is feeling the creative pull of TV, especially after starring in Netflix<\/a> romantic mini-series From Scratch<\/a>.<\/p>\n Now, she appears in Special Ops: Lioness<\/a>, a high-octane spy thriller created by Taylor Sheridan (Sicario, Yellowstone<\/a>) that sees her both co-starring and co-executive producing alongside Nicole Kidman. As Salda\u00f1a tells RT, the role was too good an offer to turn down\u2026<\/p>\n What persuaded you to join Special Ops: Lioness?<\/strong><\/p>\n Taylor reached out. He told me, \u201cI\u2019m writing a character with you in mind\u201d \u2013 that doesn\u2019t happen all the time. Then he added, \u201cNicole is producing.\u201d I think he just dropped that in to seal the deal.<\/p>\n The show includes a lot of military detail \u2014 how much cooperation did the US armed forces provide?<\/strong><\/p>\n There was a fount of information on set \u2013 ex-paramilitary operatives, people who had served as Marines or Seals, plus people who had worked in the White House or the CIA. A great amount of information was provided to us without over-sharing or exposing themselves.<\/p>\n What was it like working with Nicole Kidman, both in front of and behind the camera?<\/strong><\/p>\n She\u2019s exactly what I imagined and hoped she would be. She\u2019s dedicated, she\u2019s the most prepared on set, knows all her lines. She stays in character sometimes and it\u2019s a bit freaky.<\/p>\n Your character, Joe, is a tireless warrior. Are you the same?<\/strong><\/p>\n There is something very parallel to me in Joe, working full time for something she is devoted to, having to balance family life and carry it all. I was able to relate to the pressure, the pain you live with missing your family when you have to be away for 14 hours straight, and feeling guilty for loving what you do.<\/p>\n What prompted your move to TV?<\/strong><\/p>\n My ignorant mind feared it. I felt it would be accepting my fate, saying, \u201cMy youth is done, I\u2019m a woman in my 40s, I\u2019m no longer sexy,\u201d but that\u2019s not the case. My manager told me, \u201cYou need to understand the market. You need to go where good content is, whether that\u2019s a big screen, on stage or on TV.\u201d<\/p>\n What are your tools for managing your work alongside family life?<\/strong><\/p>\n We\u2019re always together. We\u2019re a travelling circus. My husband [Marco Perego, with whom she has three children] is an artist so he can work remotely, although it\u2019s easier for him to be in Europe. It\u2019s a bit harder when we\u2019re in somewhere like Morocco, when the travelling is gruelling. He makes a lot of sacrifices, but he acknowledges that I make them as well. You have to make it work. You have to meet in the middle. One day it will be time for me to pass the torch and hold the fort so he can go and take those leaps. I don\u2019t think I would be able to do this if I didn\u2019t have the support of my partner. I know lots of women aren\u2019t able to say that.<\/p>\n Talking of gruelling, your Avatar director James Cameron says he plans to make up to seven films in the series. Are you in it for the long haul, and which is he \u2013 control freak or pussycat?<\/strong><\/p>\n I signed up. The ink\u2019s already dry. He\u2019s a teddy bear, but he\u2019s a bear. He\u2019s a passionate individual, but extremely collaborative. Jim\u2019s like a fine wine, he gets better with time \u2013 a knack for science, a knack for art, and finding a way to marry these two passions. He\u2019s a very important storyteller. If we\u2019re going to talk about his temper, we also have to talk about his contribution.<\/p>\n You\u2019ve appeared in the three highest-grossing movies of all time, but often disguised by either blue CGI (Avatar) or green make-up (Avengers\/Guardians of the Galaxy). Can you walk down the street without people recognising you?<\/strong><\/p>\n I\u2019m a good investment, right?! But yes, I\u2019ve unconsciously created a version of myself that runs parallel to my persona as a daily person. I\u2019m an incredibly private person, I\u2019m very shy. I don\u2019t know what fame or celebrity is.<\/p> What\u2019s important to you about making these types of films?<\/strong><\/p>\n I shift towards a younger genre, because children, to me, mean everything. In entertainment, I think we tend to overlook them a lot. When we make content for children, it\u2019s sometimes tone-deaf \u2013 it\u2019s either incredibly violent or solely for marketing. Children need to be inspired, so I like inhabiting that world.<\/p>\n You\u2019ve talked about wanting to produce and also direct. Is this a creative wish, or a way of navigating the still youth-centric film and TV industry?<\/strong><\/p>\n It\u2019s both. Times will change. I\u2019m 45 and my interests are shifting. If it wasn\u2019t in my heart, I\u2019d just be acting, but as time goes by I have more of a passion for being behind the lens. All the hard work I\u2019ve been putting in continues to put me in a position of power and influence. It\u2019s incredibly rewarding to be able to exercise that. I want to create more stories for women. I want to create what I want to see. I just want to make sure that, whatever I\u2019m doing, I\u2019m always on top.<\/p> ![\""Nicole\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2023\/07\/LNS1070124LV00711RT-1-f65ec8f.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"Lioness\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>![\""Zoe\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2023\/07\/LNS101LA03019274RT-d61cc89.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"Lioness\"\\"\/")
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