need to know
- Zoe Saldaña reveals working with husband Marco Perego on Alicia Keys' 'Show Me Love' video was 'extremely challenging' because their creative styles clashed
- The Oscar winner, who married Perego in 2013, told Keys he retorted during rehearsals, “I don't like the way you talk to me.”
- Saldana also discusses James Cameron's behind-the-scenes thinking Avatar Documentary, calls performance capture 'the most empowering form of performance'
Zoe Saldaña opens up about the challenges and breakthroughs of collaborating with husband Marco Perego on a creative project for the first time.
Chat with Alicia Keys for the latest cover story beyond the noiseThe 47-year-old Oscar-winning actress reflected on what it was like filming the 2019 music video for Keys' single “Show Me Love,” which Keys directed and starred Saldaña and Perego.
“It was very challenging to collaborate on this music video,” Saldanha admits. “Because it was the first time I realized how he worked, and [he realized mine]”.
The couple, who married in 2013 and have three sons, Zen, and twins Cy and Bowie, 8 and 10, have long supported each other's careers behind the scenes. But entering a shared creative space brought unexpected friction.
Actresses Zoe Saldana, Marco Perego, Bowie Ezio Perego-Saldana, Cy Aridio Perego-Saldana and Zen Perego-Saldana Attend Zoe Saldana's ceremony to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Axel/Ball Griffin/FilmMagic
“We’ve figured out a lot of ways to be together,” Saldanha said. “We worked together in life. We worked together in family. Now, we work together in art.”
She explained that this shift exposed a new dynamic between them, especially during rehearsals.
“He said, 'I don't like the way you talked to me when we were rehearsing…'” Saldanha recalled with a laugh. “I would tell him, 'I keep asking you to pick me up!'”
“You don't want me to make excuses. I don't want you to make excuses. That's why we practice. So can you remember what the fuck we just did?”
Saldanha also spoke about the realities of being an artist and the resilience it takes to keep going in an industry where rejection is constant.
Zoe Saldana and her husband.
Marilla Sicilia/Archivio Marilla Sicilia/Mondadori Portfolio
“I don't like the word hustle; it has such connotations,” she said. “But you have to be determined and persistent. Being an artist means you get rejected a lot more than you get accepted.”
Looking to the future, Avatar star says she's interested in entering a new creative field: writing.
“Maybe I want to write a story,” she shared. “I wanted to see if I had what it took to create a meaningful story that other people would want to be a part of. Because I'm a storyteller—I grow from stories. I'm saved from within by stories. I want to keep telling them.”
Saldana also expressed excitement about director James Cameron's interest in making a documentary about the incident. Avatar The behind-the-scenes work of film, specifically performance capture.
Zoe Saldana and Marco Perego.
Zoe Saldana/Instagram
“I'm excited [James Cameron] A documentary about the production is being considered Avatar,” she said. “It gave us the opportunity to explain in a nuanced way why performance capture is the most powerful form of acting. ”
“With the technology he created — because Jim, in addition to being a storyteller, was a true scientist — he gave us 100 percent control over our own performance on screen.”
Avatar: Fire and Ashes Released on December 19