Zoe Saldaña and Kate Winslet recently reconnected to reflect on their shared work on James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water and its upcoming sequel, Fire and Ash, while also delving into their latest projects, Lee and Emilia Pérez. Both actresses bring a wealth of experience to their roles, with Saldaña known for her portrayal of Neytiri in the Avatar franchise and Winslet bringing her talents to Titanic and now as the determined war photographer Lee Miller.
Winslet fondly recalls the warm and collaborative atmosphere that Cameron fostered during the films’ rehearsal periods. “That sense of collaboration and willingness to share ideas was so inspiring,” she says, with Saldaña adding, “It’s crazy what you can achieve when you’re given the freedom and resources to build a character from the ground up.”
Their conversation turns to the powerful women they portray in their respective films. Winslet explains that her motivation to tell Lee Miller’s story came from the fact that so many people don’t know about the iconic female war photographer. “Lee’s life was so much more than what she was defined by. She was a force, a woman who defied the norms and captured history through her lens during WWII,” Winslet shares.
Saldaña is equally enthusiastic when discussing her role in Emilia Pérez, where she plays Rita, an attorney guiding a woman through a gender transition while confronting the dark past of her drug cartel involvement. “I was drawn to the complexity of these women’s lives,” Saldaña notes, praising the movie’s opera format as a powerful narrative tool. “Jacques Audiard’s decision to make it a musical was brilliant, as it allowed these fragile characters to truly express their emotions and inner struggles.”
Both actresses express admiration for each other’s work, and their conversation highlights the shared themes of resilience and defiance present in both Lee and Emilia Pérez. Winslet sees a striking parallel between her character Lee and Saldaña’s Rita, saying, “Both women are unstoppable. They refuse to be deterred by the obstacles in their way and fight for what they believe in.”
Their discussion shines a spotlight on the strength and vulnerability of the women they portray, as well as the evolving portrayal of women in film—stories of power, courage, and redemption that resonate strongly today.
