Psychologist role welcome change for Saldana
Between guarding the galaxy and hanging out on the colourful planet of Pandora, Zoe Saldana isn’t getting much of a chance to show her real face these days.
That’s why her role as a psychologist helping a struggling young girl in the fantasy adventure I Kill Giants is so different, but also so important to her.
Ms. Molle (Saldana) is a school counsellor and a confidante to 12-year-old Barbara (Madison Wolfe), who is convinced she’s the only one who can keep her town safe from a dangerous giant.
The message that gives out — what happens when an adult reserves judgment as best as she can, and how much that can aid a child who’s in dire need of the right kind of attention — is what moved her the most, Saldana says.
The actor takes a bigger role in saving the day in her upcoming big-budget fare.
In April, she’s back as greenskinned Guardians of the Galaxy assassin Gamora in Avengers: Infinity War, joining Earth’s mightiest heroes in fighting off her adoptive father, cosmic villain Thanos.
And Saldana reprises her role as blue Na’vi warrior Neytiri in the next two Avatar movies, sequels to James Cameron’s massive sci-fi hit.
Saldana, 39, talked about her busy movie slate, plus her “labour of love” Bese, a new social platform dedicated to highlighting stories of underrepresented communities.
Q: Gamora probably needed somebody like Ms. Molle to talk out issues with her dad.
A: You’re so right! If Gamora had a Ms. Molle, she probably would have never met the Guardians.
Q: How different was filming Avengers: Infinity War than a Guardians movie?
A: The thought of it was more daunting than the reality. It was so even-keel. The energy was so welcoming and positive and exciting.
Q: From the trailer, we know at the very least that Gamora meets Thor.
A: I would have wished for her to be a little more excited. She’s very much like: “Eh.” The Guardians are so arrogant — like the way we say in Queens, they’re so ghetto. They didn’t have great upbringings, and their manners aren’t as polished as one would like them to be. Their reaction to amazing people is just not what you’re expecting.
Q: In building Bese, how much have you been inspired by a changing culture — i.e., Black Panther, MeToo and the Parkland kids?
A: I was inspired by millennials right now. Their demand for transparency, their curiosity, their identity and their sense of justice has overwhelmed and humbled me.
After becoming a mother, it became a mission to me because I can’t just be empathetic. I have to be compassionate, and compassion requires action.
Q: How much did you miss Neytiri over the years?
A: So much. I couldn’t wait to get back to Pandora. It’s going to be a very emotional and moving saga that Jim has built for all of us to experience.
It is an extension of the conversation that he started in the first Avatar, of the relationship and the care that we need to have with our environment.