Zoe Saldaña Honored at Latino Television and Cinema Event, Advises Everyone to Embrace Diversity

By Samantha Ofole-Prince

The actress and producer received the Groundbreaker Award for her starring role in Netflix’s “Emilia Pérez,” which won the Best Actress Prize for the ensemble cast at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year.

With roles that include “Star Trek,” “Avatar,” “Avengers: Endgame” and “Guardians of the Galaxy,” Saldaña’s career has spanned over 20 years. While accepting her accolade, she shared how honored she was to represent her Latina colleagues on stage and encouraged everyone to embrace diversity.

“By embracing diversity and acknowledging the inherent value of each person’s unique experience and perspectives, we cultivate a sense of unity and belonging in a world where compassion is in short supply,” said Saldaña as she clutched her award. “Choosing to accept kindness can ignite a ripple effect of change and inspire others to do the same.”

Also honored at this prestigious event was actress Emayatzy Corinealdi who made her movie debut in director Ava DuVernay’s film “Middle of Nowhere.”  Corinealdi talked about her journey to Hollywood, citing how her Panamanian father left for the United States with nothing but a dream and a prayer. She received  the Actress Award – Series for her performance on Hulu/Onyx Collective’s “Reasonable Doubt.”

Held at the historic Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, the event honors standout performances and work, both onscreen and offscreen from the Latino entertainment community. Also honored was filmmaker Fede Alvarez, who joked about how being a Latino is a superpower in Hollywood. Alvarez was honored for his writing and directorial work in creating 20th Century Studios’ “Alien: Romulus.”  A film which notably earned $45.1 million in its domestic opening weekend at the box office and became the highest grossing horror film in IMAX history.

Other honorees included Pablo Larraín, who was honored for his directorial work on Netflix’s “Maria,” writer and producer Issa López, who received The Director Award – Series for “True Detective: Night Country” and Francesca Sloane who was given the The Showrunner Award  for the Prime Video series “Mr. & Mrs. Smith.”