Honoree Zoe Saldaña, Moderated by Scott Feinberg, Presented by Rob Lowe

Quotes From the Awards Presentation:

Zoe Saldaña stated, “I don’t think I would have been able to book Avatar or Gamora or Colombiana [without dance]. It gave me such a deep connection to my body. And as I was learning about the craft of acting, I knew that I needed to bring my body into every character I inhabited.”

On The Terminal, Zoe Saldaña said, “After being mentored by Steven Spielberg throughout the shoot, I remember him saying, ‘In order to move forward, you have to know where you’re coming from.’”

Talking about Avatar, Zoe Saldaña explained, “Avatar was shot in such an intimate setting that I almost felt it was theater-like. Performance capture, I hope that all organizations can understand how much freedom it gives an actor. But it also gives actors proprietorship of their performance.”

Zoe Saldaña shared, “I think the very first weekend that Avatar came out, it wasn’t that big of a splash. This was a movie that grew gradually. I wasn’t expecting that. It was a surreal experience. I was taking it all as it came and just happy to be a part of it.”

Discussing Colombiana, Zoe Saldaña said, “If I have to be personal about it, I’ve always been trying to manage and understand my grief. Losing my father at such an early age has probably been one of the most impactful things that has happened in my life.”

Zoe Saldaña stated about Infinitely Polar Bear, “I am incredibly proud of that movie. I got to work with Maya Forbes. This was a love song to Cameron Forbes, so everything about that story was deeply compelling to me. And once again, it would allow me to explore the life of a father-daughter relationship.”

On joining Guardians of the Galaxy, Zoe Saldaña shared, “Everything about that movie felt out of the ordinary, felt very nuanced, just like James Gunn is. It had so much heart that I felt like people would have whiplash to it. I honestly believe that there is no Guardians of the Galaxy without James Gunn.”

Zoe Saldaña explained, “As the years went by, project after project, I wanted to find where a lot of dialogue and story is propelled by characters that push it forward. I wanted to see if I had it in me to do it.”

On Avatar: The Way of Water, Zoe Saldaña said, “I don’t think Sam and I would have been able to understand what Neytiri and Jake begin to embark on had it not been for the fact that 13 years was enough for Sam and I to recover from many things, to get married and start a family, and gather enough experience in life to be able to put that into Neytiri and Jake. And it gave way to a much deeper experience, and it gave us a lot more to feel.”

Zoe Saldaña said about her role in Emilia Pérez, “Everything about it was so different. I was just curious. I wanted to hear it through Jacques’s voice. Deep down, it is about four very diverse women trying to break their own mold, and find their most authentic self, and to find love.”

Zoe Saldaña continued, “We are really challenging ourselves to find a deeper meaning about what redemption means to you. When these people have a past that they cannot escape, are they worthy of redemption? Are they worthy of freedom, of finding their voice? That is the challenge of Emilia Pérez. And I accepted it.”

About The Event:

Zoe Saldaña will be honored with the American Riviera Award at the 40th annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Saldaña will receive the award on Wednesday, February 12, 2025 at an in-person conversation about her career, leading up to her acclaimed performance this year as Rita Moro Castro in Netflix’s EMILIA PÉREZ. Zoe Saldaña's performance in EMILIA PÉREZ is one of her most transformative roles to date, and adds another unique facet to her already impressive career.

“Zoe Saldaña has a fantastic filmography worth celebrating any year, but her commanding and stouthearted performance in EMILIA PÉREZ makes our tribute to her imperative” remarked SBIFF’s Executive Director Roger Durling.

Zoe Saldaña has steadily earned a reputation as one of the most versatile and respected powerhouses in the industry with a remarkable career spanning more than 20 years as an actor and producer. As the only actor in history to have starred in four films that have grossed over 2 billion dollars and the top three highest grossing films of all time, AVATAR, AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER and Marvel Studios’ AVENGERS: ENDGAME, Saldaña’s passionate commitment to seeking compelling, indelible roles has remained constant.

Most recently, Saldaña lead and executive produced the independent film THE ABSENCE OF EDEN, directed by Marco Perego in his feature film debut, and currently stars in Taylor Sheridan’s undercover CIA drama series “Lioness” for Paramount+, which she also executive produces with her production company Cinestar Pictures. Saldaña can next be seen starring in the Spanish-language musical crime comedy from Jacques Audiard, EMILIA PÉREZ, which premiered at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival and took home the Jury Prize. Saldaña received the festival’s prestigious Best Actress Award alongside the female ensemble and Netflix will release the film in theaters this Fall.

From renegade auteur Jacques Audiard comes EMILIA PÉREZ, an audacious fever dream that defies genres and expectations. Through liberating song and dance and bold visuals, this odyssey follows the journey of four remarkable women in Mexico, each pursuing their own happiness. The fearsome cartel leader Emilia (Karla Sofía Gascón) enlists Rita (Zoe Saldaña), an unappreciated lawyer stuck in a dead-end job, to help fake her death so that Emilia can finally live authentically as her true self. Written and directed by Audiard (Rust and Bone, A Prophet), the double Cannes-winning film also stars Selena Gomez, Adriana Paz, and Édgar Ramírez.

The American Riviera Award was established to recognize actors who have made a significant contribution to American Cinema. Previous recipients include Mark Ruffalo, Brendan Fraser, Kristen Stewart, Delroy Lindo, Renée Zellweger, Viggo Mortenson, Sam Rockwell, Jeff Bridges, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Patricia Arquette, Ethan Hawke, Robert Redford, Quentin Tarantino, Martin Scorsese, Annette Bening, Sandra Bullock, Mickey Rourke, Tommy Lee Jones, Forrest Whitaker, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Kevin Bacon and Diane Lane.