American actress Warning: Page using Template:Infobox person with unknown parameter "residence" (this message is shown only in preview). Zoë Yadira Saldaña Nazario (born June 19, 1978) is an American actress. Following her performances with the theater group Faces, Saldana made her screen debut in a 1999 episode of Law & Order. Her film career began a year later with Center Stage (2000), where she played a struggling ballet dancer. She had played the role of Neytiri, the female lead and one of the main protagonists of James Cameron's sci-fi film Avatar. Saldana became known for her work in science fiction films, beginning in 2009 with her first of multiple appearances as Nyota Uhura in the Star Trek film series and her first appearance as Neytiri in the Avatar film series. She has also played Gamora in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, beginning with Guardians of the Galaxy (2014). Due to her appearances in some of the highest-grossing films of all time, such as Avatar and Avengers: Endgame, Saldana is the second highest-grossing film actress of all time, as of 2019[update]. Her films have collectively grossed more than $11 billion worldwide.