Zoe Saldana Recalls ‘Bad Experience’ On Pirates Of The Caribbean

Zoe Saldana, who is well-known for her parts in popular series like Guardians of the Galaxy, Avatar, and Star Trek, talked about her early career experiences recently at the BFI London Film Festival.

The actress, 46, talked candidly about her challenging experience filming Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), in which she portrayed the pirate Anamaria in the first movie. Saldaña’s experience on set was not enjoyable, even if the franchise was extremely successful.

Saldaña Talks Experience From ‘Pirates of The Caribbean’

During the conversation, Saldaña reflected on her takeaway from that experience, emphasizing how it shaped her view on the kind of people she wanted to collaborate with in the future. “I knew with that experience the kind of people that I wanted to work with,” she said, as reported by Variety.

While she praised the cast and crew for being largely wonderful, Saldaña highlighted that if those at the helm of a production—producers, directors, or the studio—aren’t leading with “kindness and awareness,” the entire project can spiral into a negative experience. “That big of a production can become a really bad experience, and you may tip overboard. And I kind of did,” she added.

A Pivotal Moment Early In Her Career

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl was one of Saldaña’s first major movie roles, but she didn’t return for any of the sequels.

Reflecting on the project during an interview with Entertainment Weekly in 2022, Saldaña mentioned how the production’s size and pace left her feeling overwhelmed. “I walked away not really having a good experience from it overall,” she shared. “I felt like I was lost in the trenches of it a great deal, and I just didn’t feel like that was okay.”

Her challenging experience wasn’t the end of her relationship with the franchise, however. Years later, Jerry Bruckheimer, the producer of the Pirates series, personally apologized to Saldaña for her difficulties on set.

According to Entertainment Weekly, Bruckheimer expressed regret over the situation and explained that he aims for everyone involved in his projects to have a positive experience. “That really moved me,” Saldaña said, noting that his apology meant a lot to her.

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Steven Spielberg Restores Her Faith In Big Productions

Fortunately, her experience on Pirates did not permanently sour Saldaña’s view of large-scale productions. Shortly after Pirates, she worked on The Terminal (2004), a film directed by Steven Spielberg.

This project, Saldaña shared, helped her regain confidence in big-budget films. “I worked with Steven Spielberg eight months later, and he restored my faith that big can also be great,” she said, per various outlets.

Saldaña noted that Spielberg fostered a supportive and creative environment on set, one that contrasted sharply with her earlier experience. She recalled feeling “so good and so safe” while working with him, and credited his leadership style for restoring her passion for large productions.

Unlike her time on Pirates, Spielberg’s approach made her feel more in tune with the entire production. His unique habit of playing music between scenes to set the tone and ensure everyone was in sync stood out as a particularly thoughtful touch.

Looking Back: Pride In The Final Product

Despite the struggles she faced during the making of Pirates of the Caribbean, Saldaña remains proud of the film itself. “What I see that transpired on screen I’m very proud of,” she told BuzzFeed UK.

She did, however, acknowledge that she did not want to go through the challenges of traveling there again. Looking back, she can appreciate the movie from a distance. It was a critical and economic success, making $654.3 million worldwide and becoming one of the most cherished entries in the series.

Since her early days as a pirate, Saldaña has starred in some of the highest-grossing films and gone on to play significant roles in popular franchises. Saldaña’s career has flourished because of her appearances as Neytiri in James Cameron’s Avatar trilogy, Gamora in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Uhura in the Star Trek reboot series.

Her commitment to working with directors who lead with respect and empathy continues to guide her choices. As a result, she remains a dominant force in Hollywood, contributing to the success of blockbuster films while ensuring that her work environment aligns with her values.

Be sure to catch up on everything happening with Zoe Saldaña right now. Come back here often for all Zoe Saldaña spoilers, news, and updates.

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