LOS ANGELES, Aug 20 — Zoe Saldana first grabbed our attention with her performances in teen movies like “Centre Stage”, and “Crossroads”, which she followed by becoming Hollywood’s sci-fi it-girl, heading up three blockbuster franchises with “Avatar”, “Star Trek” and “Guardians of the Galaxy”. But what are some things you didn’t know about this Latina superstar?

Born the middle of three very close sisters, Zoe’s father died in a car accident when she was just nine, and she and her siblings were sent to live with his family in the Dominican Republic. There, the future superstar studied ballet and contemporary dance, which she says prepared her for her future work as an action heroine, teaching her focus, discipline and, most importantly, how to kick.

Though she is of Dominican and Puerto Rican descent, Saldana complains that she is often mistaken for British actress Thandie Newton, whose mother is from Zimbabwe. The stars look so similar that even Zoe’s own mother once confused the two!

And finally, the athletic actress’ first big blockbuster was almost her last. When Saldana co-starred with Johnny Depp, Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom in 2003’s “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl”, she has confessed that she was treated so badly by the producers that she considered giving up on acting forever. Luckily for fans of kick-ass chicks, Zoe reconsidered, and the rest is history.

Whether her skin is blue or green or brown in a given film, Zoe Saldana’s beauty shines through, and we look forward to watching her career as it goes to warp speed. — Cover Media

Cast member Zoe Saldana poses at the premiere of 'Guardians of the Galaxy' in Hollywood, California, July 21, 2014. — Reuters pic