Zoe Yanira Zaldaña Nazario (born June 19, 1978 in New Jersey), better known plainly as Zoe Zaldaña, is a Dominican-American actress. She has gained popularity in Hollywood, with her participation in television shows like Law & Order and in a number of movies. She is also sometimes credited as Zoe Zaldana, Zoe Saldana or Zoe Saldaña.

At the age of seven, Zaldaña moved to her parents' native Dominican Republic, to learn about her Latin American culture's heritage and to start training for a future career in show business. There, she was enlisted in a ballet class.

Zaldaña gained experience as a dancer in the Dominican Republic, having been enlisted in one of the most prestigious dancing schools of that country. After a few years there, she and her family decided to return to the United States, where Zaldaña enrolled in an acting program, called the Faces Theater Program . She was still a member of that school when she got her first screen experience, on an episode of Law & Order that first aired October 13, 1999. Zaldaña left the school after her major film debut, in 2000's Center Stage.

Zaldaña appeared on two Law & Order episodes.

Zaldaña was the "victim" of a joke by Ashton Kutcher when the comedy actor conspired with one of Zaldaña's friends, an R&B singer, her friend's boyfriend and another actress, to have Zaldaña believe that she had walked in on her friend's boyfriend kissing the actress. This joke was aired on the MTV show, Punk'd.

Filmography

• La Maldicion del Padre Cardona (2005, as "Flor")
• Guess Who (2005, alongside Ashton Kutcher and Bernie Mac, as "Theresa")
• Constellation (2005, as "Rosa Boxer")
• Temptation (2004, as "Annie")
• Haven (2004, as "Andrea")
• The Terminal (2004, alongside Tom Hanks, as "Torres")
• Dirty Deeds (2004, as "Rachel Buff")
• Pirates of the Caribbean (2003, alongside Johnny Depp, as "Anamaria")
• Drumline (2002, as "Laila")
• Crossroads (2002, alongside Britney Spears, as "Ty")
• Snipes (2001, as "Cheryl")
• Get Over It (2001, as "Maggie")
• Center Stage (2000, as "Eva Rodriguez")

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