Zoe Saldaña Was 'Afraid' of Being Labeled a Sci-Fi Star — Not Anymore

Kate Erbland

Editorial Director

Kate Erbland is the New York City–based Editorial Director at IndieWire, where she oversees the day-to-day operations of the site's film, TV, awards, and crafts teams, and writes and edits daily. Her award-winning work places a special emphasis on female filmmakers, in-depth interviews with performers and creators, and awards season coverage.

She has worked at IndieWire since 2015. During her time at IndieWire, she has shaped the site's coverage and strategy on everything from film festivals to interviews, curated numerous packages (including robust end of the year efforts, '90s Week, and other signature pieces), and somehow lived through six evenings spent backstage in the Oscar trenches.

Her favorite films run the gamut, from classic '90s actioners to "Dirty Dancing" and "Pretty Woman," and whatever Sofia Coppola is doing next. She has a 90-inch projector screen at home (because of course she does), and when she's not watching movies on the big screen, she's probably watching birds out in the world (#birdnerd).

Some of her previous work can be found at a variety of publications, including Vanity Fair, Cosmopolitan, Rolling Stone, The Dissolve, Vulture, New York Daily News, Mental Floss, amNY, MTV.com, Details.com, Film School Rejects, MSN Movies, and Boxoffice Magazine. She has served on juries and nominating committees for the Gothams, the Critics Choice Awards, the Cinema Eye Honors, the SXSW Film and TV Festival, the SCAD Savannah Film Festival, DOC NYC, the Sarasota Film Festival, the Nantucket Film Festival, Palm Springs ShortFest, among others.

She is a member of the New York Film Critics Circle and the Critics Choice Association. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English and Art History from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, CA.

Latest by Kate Erbland
SAVANNAH, GEORGIA - NOVEMBER 01: Zoe Saldaña speaks onstage at the "Emilia Pérez" Q&A during the 27th SCAD Savannah Film Festival at Trustees Theater on November 01, 2024 in Savannah, Georgia. (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images for SCAD)
SCAD
The "Emilia Pérez" actress has starred in four of our biggest franchises, each their own sci-fi-tinged stories. And while she struggled with feeling labeled in the past, she's done with that now.
SAVANNAH, GEORGIA - OCTOBER 31: Felicity Jones attends the 27th SCAD Savannah Film Festival on October 31, 2024 in Savannah, Georgia. (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images for SCAD)
SCAD
SCAD: At this year's film festival, the actress accepted the Spotlight Award for her work in the film, and talked about the epic's true emotional center.
Los Frikis
SCAD
As the lauded regional festival winds down, it celebrates a wide array of competition titles, including narrative and documentary features and a number of short films.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 10: Director Hannah Peterson attends 'The Graduates' premiere during the 2023 Tribeca Festival at Village East Cinema on June 10, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images for Tribeca Festival)
Filmmaker Interview
More than a year after its very well-reviewed premiere, Peterson's "The Graduates" is finally arriving in theaters. The filmmaker tells IndieWire what it took to get here, and what she's learned along the way.
Tom Hardy stars as Eddie Brock/Venom in Columbia Pictures VENOM: THE LAST DANCE.
Spoilers
Spoilers: The final-ish chapter in the freewheeling trilogy wants to have its post-credits scene cake and eat it, too. No more! We're full up!
A view of Main Street Park City Utah on the last morning of the Sundance Film Festival 2024 looking down Main Street to the north, bright morning sun is starting to shine on the buildings.  Photograph taken January 28, 2024.
Sundance
You read that correctly: three months.
Best Films of 2024 So Far
From fall festival favorites to genre films that challenged and excited us, here are IndieWire's favorite movies of 2024 so far.
Paul Mescal at the Fourth Annual Academy Museum Gala held at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on October 19, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Gilbert Flores/WWD via Getty Images)
Gladiator-Sized
The star of Ridley Scott's much-anticipated sequel gained 18 pounds of muscle for his role as a scrappy warrior, but as he recently explained, the psychological changes might have proven more essential to his work.
That Christmas
London Film Festival
London: The king of rom-coms wraps up a charming holiday treat for the entire family, which weaves together a trio of tales about Christmas gone wonky.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 10: Ian McDonald attends Netflix's 'Woman Of The Hour' Los Angeles Premiere at Egyptian Theatre on October 10, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for Netflix)
Interview
The screenwriter's Black List script follows the terrifying exploits of the so-called "Dating Game Killer" — a ripped-from-the-headlines story he and director Anna Kendrick made into something far richer.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 08: (L-R) Mila Kunis, writer/director Hallie Meyers-Shyer and Michael Keaton at the GOODRICH Los Angeles Premiere at AMC The Grove 14 on October 08, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Eric Charbonneau/Ketchup Entertainment via Getty Images)
Filmmaker Interview
The "Goodrich" and "Home Again" director is the child of two lauded filmmakers. As she launches her second film, she tells IndieWire about mother Nancy Meyers' inspiration and the kind of movies they just don't make anymore.
Lonely Planet
Film Review
Laura Dern and Liam Hemsworth generate real heat in Susannah Grant's Netflix feature, but it's too often snuffed out by some distinctly unsexy elements, like bad plotting and awkward tropes.
Top of The Line Weekly
A weekly digest that captures the best of our Top of the Line coverage.

By providing your information, you agree to our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy. We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.