Hollywood entered 2026 with a new box‑office monarch. On January 14, 2026 the data site The Numbers announced that Zoe Saldaña had overtaken Scarlett Johansson to become the highest‑grossing star in leading roles worldwide. Her films have earned a breathtaking $15.47 billion, driven by the record‑breaking success of Avatar: Fire and Ash and her recurring role as Gamora in Marvel’s Marvel Cinematic Universe. The latest Avatar installment alone has contributed more than $1.24 billion to her total.
Saldaña’s ascent is remarkable not just for its scale but for the journey that preceded it. Born on June 19, 1978, in New Jersey to a Puerto Rican mother and a Dominican father, she was raised in a bilingual home that emphasized education and equality. Her parents taught their daughters that they could do anything men could—a conviction that later fuelled her fight for better representation. After her father died in a car accident in 1987, their mother temporarily sent the girls to live with relatives in the Dominican Republic while she worked multiple jobs in New York to support them. The hardship instilled resilience and appreciation for sacrifice that still drives her ambition.
Saldaña first captured the world’s attention as the Na’vi warrior Neytiri in James Cameron’s Avatar (2009), still the highest‑grossing film ever. She reprised the role in Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) and Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025); together the franchise has earned more than $6.48 billion. Beyond Pandora, she plays Gamora in the Guardians of the Galaxy and Avengers series and has portrayed Nyota Uhura in the Star Trek reboot, illustrating her versatility. According to People, The Numbers’ tally gives her a combined box‑office gross of over $15.4 billion.
Despite the staggering figures, she remains grounded. In a social‑media video after the record was announced, she expressed her “sincerest gratitude for the extraordinary journey” and credited the collaborators and franchises that enabled her success. She has signed on for Avatar 4 and Avatar 5, ensuring her story in Pandora isn’t over.
While she is celebrated for blockbuster hits, Saldaña’s impact extends beyond the screen. Together with her sisters, she founded Cinestar Pictures, a production company dedicated to telling stories by and about women. She often cites her mother as her hero and emphasizes the importance of Afro‑Latina representation in Hollywood. The belief in gender equality instilled in her childhood still shapes her career choices and advocacy work.
Saldaña’s rise from a bilingual New Jersey household to the pinnacle of the global box office highlights the power of resilience, cultural pride and relentless ambition. Her path was marked by personal loss, transnational upbringing and an unwavering dedication to craft. By breaking the record for worldwide box‑office earnings while championing diversity and producing female‑centered stories, she demonstrates that commercial success and social impact can go hand in hand. As audiences prepare for future journeys to Pandora and beyond, Zoe Saldaña stands as a beacon for aspiring artists and a reminder that remarkable women can rewrite the record books on their own terms.