James Cameron couldn't stay on the sidelines after Zoe Saldana's long-awaited Oscar win. The director shared his thoughts on the triumph of the Oscar-winning actress, with whom he has worked repeatedly in his famous Avatar franchise, where she portrays the character Neytiri.
In an interveiw with Variety He said, "I was so happy to see Zoe acknowledged as the world-class performer we, in the 'Avatar' family, have always known her to be. Her acceptance speech was a noble reminder of what immigrant families bring to the U.S. and to Hollywood."
Zoe's acceptance speech was powerful, as she proudly declared herself a "proud immigrant child" and shared her joy in becoming the first immigrant to win an Oscar. She expressed her belief that she would not be the last, adding that her win represented the hopes and dreams of many who had come before her.
Earlier in 2024, Cameron spoke to Variety and mentioned that he had worked with Academy Award-winning actors, and there was nothing that Zoe was doing that was of a lesser caliber than them. However, because she plays a "CG character" in his film, it somehow doesn't count in some people’s minds, which he found to be completely illogical. He went on to praise her ability to go from regal to utterly feral in two seconds, calling her ferocious and comparing her to a lioness.
