She may have played a tough-as-nails ballerina in her first big movie “Center Stage” (2000), but in the premiere issue of “Cosmopolitan for Latinas” on newsstands May 1st, Zoe Saldana explains why she quit ballet cold turkey in real life.
“I had to quit ballet because it felt like a part of me was dying inside,” the former teen ballerina tells the magazine. “It takes a lot of courage to face up to things you can’t do because we feed ourselves so much denial … In dance you use every party of your body except your voice. I wanted to start acting because I wanted to use my voice," she says.
The half-Puerto Rican, half-Dominican actress also tells the magazine what it means to be Latina. “People think of Latina women as being fiery and fierce, which is usually true,” the “Avatar” star says. “But I think the quality that so many Latinas possess is strength. I’m very proud to have Latin blood."
Saldana, who is currently filming the untitled "Star Trek" sequel, is modeling a $2,295 Dolce & Gabbana dress and $1,245 Christian Louboutin shoes on the cover, in addition to a $120 Gerard Yosca cuff and $240 Alex Monroe earrings.
CHECK OUT THIS SLIDESHOW OF LATINOS ON THE HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME
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Andy Garcia
Cuban born actor, Andy Garcia earned his star in The Hollywood Walk fo Fame in 1995.
Garcia earned an Oscar nomination for his role in "The Godfather Part III" and a Grammy as producer of "Ahora Si" by Israel "Cachao" Lopez. More recently he played the role of Terry Benedict, the casino mogul, in "Ocean's Eleven" and it's following sequels.
Garcia will appear in the movie "Hemingway and Fuentes", which will be released in 2012, in the role of Gregorio Fuentes.
Christina Aguilera
Aguilera, who's father is originally from Ecuador, was awarded a star in The Hollywood Walk fo Fame in 2010. In 1999 she had three number one singles on the Billboard Hot 100--"Genie in a Bottle", "What a Girl Wants", and "Come On Over Baby (All I Want Is You)."
Carlos Santana
The Mexican-American rock star was immortalized in 1998.
Santana is known for his guitar-playing skills and he became famous in the late 60 with his band "Santana". He was a pioneer in mixing Latin rhythms, jazz and rock.
In 2003, <a href="http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-greatest-guitarists-of-all-time-19691231" target="_hplink">Rolling Stone Magazine named Santana number 15 in their list of 100 greatest artists of all times. </a>
George Lopez
George Lopez, of Mexican descent, was awarded a place in The Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2006. He is known for starring in his popular ABC sitcom "George Lopez".
He is also known for his stand-up comedy which examines race and ethnic relations, focusing in Mexican American culture.
The Estefans
The Estefans share one more thing other than their Cuban descent and their undeniable musical talent. They both have star in The Hollywood Walk Of Fame.
Gloria got hers in 1993 and Emilio got his in 2005. The power-couple has been married since 1976 and have been producing great music ever since.
Vicente Fernandez
The Mexican singer, known as <a href="http://latinmusic.about.com/od/artistsen/p/PRO01VFERN.htm" target="_hplink">"El Rey De Rancher" ("King Of Ranchera Music")</a> was awarded a star in 1998.
Fernandez, who <a href="http://latinmusic.about.com/od/artistsen/p/PRO01VFERN.htm" target="_hplink">started singing at local restaurants and events</a>, is now not only a famous singer, but a cultural icon. In 2002 Fernandez was recognized by the Latin Recording Academy as Person of the Year.
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The Huffington Post | By Lee Hernandez Posted: 04/25/2012 4:12 pm Updated: 04/25/2012 5:14 pm