--- description: Zoe Saldana corners lucrative sci-fi roles in an tough industry for women title: Outer Space Is the Best Place to Be For Young Actresses image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltcccb2ad9d4b235da/69869d9c55a8595104a81f89/zoe-saldana.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Living](/tag/time-section-living/) ## Living Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Outer Space Is the Best Place to Be For Young Actresses  by [Eliana Dockterman](/author/eliana-dockterman/)  ## Eliana Dockterman Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Correspondent Jul 31, 2014 11:00 AM CUT  Zoe Saldana as Gamora (Guardians of the Galaxy), Uhura (Star Trek Into Darkness) and Neytiri (Avatar) Zoe Saldana as Gamora (Guardians of the Galaxy), Uhura (Star Trek Into Darkness) and Neytiri (Avatar)Marvel; Paramount; 20th Century Fox  by [Eliana Dockterman](/author/eliana-dockterman/)  ## Eliana Dockterman Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Correspondent Jul 31, 2014 11:00 AM CUT Look over Zoe Saldana’s [IMDB page](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0757855/ "undefined") and a pattern begins to emerge: the actress stars in _Star Trek_, _Avatar_ and _Guardians of the Galaxy_—all science-fiction franchises, the latter two of which paint her a different skin color (blue and green, respectively). No other actor can lay claim to roles in so many simultaneous big-budget sci-fi flicks, so why is Saldana playing an alien (or space traveler) over and over again? In some ways the answer is obvious: her movies have grossed over $5 billion. But there’s another reason Saldana says she carved out the niché for herself: things are just better for women in space. Hollywood’s woman problem is well-documented: [researchers at San Diego State University found](http://time.com/19007/lena-dunham-has-a-point-new-research-documents-hollywoods-sexism/ "undefined") that women made up just 15% of protagonists, 29% of major characters and 30% of all speaking characters in movies last year. And it’s even harder for women of color to make themselves bankable movie stars. (Zaldana’s mother was Puerto Rican and her father was from the Dominican Republic.) Only six of the top 500 box office films of all-time feature a protagonist who is a woman of color, [according to the Representation Project.](http://mic.com/articles/84899/hollywood-s-problem-with-women-of-color-is-even-worse-than-you-realize "undefined") What’s worse: none of those films were in the top 200 grossing films of all-time, and the top five movies starring women of color are all animated—_Pocahontas_, _Mulan_, _Spirited Away_, _Lilo & Stitch_ and _The Princess and the Frog_. But sci-fi has historically been a particularly ripe area for marginalized groups, including women and minorities. The original _Star Trek_ broke social ground by taking on issues of race and gender through the guise of alien diplomacy, and perhaps the most iconic kick-ass woman in movie history—Sigourney Weaver’s Ellen Ripley—was the protagonist in the _Alien_ movies. Saldana has her own explanation for gravitating toward science fiction: “You know why? Because the people we discriminate against in sci-fi movies are the aliens. We make them the villains,” she [told _The Hollywood Reporter_.](http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/guardians-galaxy-star-zoe-saldana-720496?utm%5Fexpid=19303748-93.TuIlIFLkR4SzRUOJSjAJ9A.0&utm%5Freferrer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thefrisky.com%2F2014-07-27%2Fzoe-saldana-on-being-successful-as-a-woman-of-color-in-hollywood-my-balls-are-pretty-big%2F "undefined") “We have to make somebody bad.” “Eighty percent of what’s out there is told through the point of view of a male,” she continued. “I can sit down with so many filmmakers for so many projects and play so many actors’ girlfriends or wives. But in sci-fi, I can play Gamora.” For the uninitiated, Gamora is the alien criminal-turned-assassin from _Guardians_ with superhuman strength. Saldana’s not a one-trick pony: her resume also includes Rosemary in the NBC TV series remake of _Rosemary’s Baby_, a ballerina in _Center Stage_ (she trained as a dancer growing up) and Nina Simone in the upcoming biopic _Nina_. But sci-fi is her bread and butter, and it doesn’t look like she’ll be leaving behind the bright colored body paint anytime soon: she’s booked to star in the third _Star Trek_ film, a second _Guardians_ movie and three more _Avatar_ sequels. Science fiction does seem to be an increasingly ripe genre for women. Just look at such that category of movies from the past year: _The Hunger Games_, _Divergent_ and _Lucy_ all gave top billing to women. (You could arguably include _Gravity_ on that list.) _Star Trek Into Darkness_, _X-Men: Days of Future Past_, _Edge of Tomorrow_, _Snowpiercer_ and _Guardians of the_ _Galaxy_ also featured robust female parts. Even Gwyneth Paltrow got to kick butt at the end of _Iron Man 3_. And those fantasy movies starring women have been a huge success at the box office. _The Hunger Games: Catching Fire_ grossed over $424.6 million, _Gravity_ $274 million and last weekend, _Lucy_ exceeded box office analysts’ expectations by about $10 million, grossing $43.8 million so far. It’s no fluke: studies have shown that [movies with strong female roles make more money.](http://entertainment.time.com/2014/01/03/movies-with-strong-female-roles-make-more-money/ "undefined") So if an actress is going to get typecast, it might as well be as a sci-fi hero. It’s a lucrative business. 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