Zoe Saldaña Pushes Back on Political Questions at Film Festival

Zoe Saldaña says she is frustrated by being asked political questions simply because she is often the only woman or person of color in the room.

Speaking at the Locarno Film Festival, the Oscar-winning actor said she attends question-and-answer sessions because she wants to discuss acting and the craft of filmmaking. Instead, she said, she is frequently expected to speak for marginalized communities.

“One thing that’s incredibly limiting, and frustrating, is when I’m the only person of color or the only woman on stage,” Saldaña said.

She recalled being asked questions such as, “What do you think we need to do to make films more inclusive?” Saldaña said those questions should not automatically be directed at the person from a marginalized group.

“I’m sorry, you don’t ask the only person that comes from the marginalized community,” she said. “You ask the other 80 of them that are part of the gatekeepers.”

Her concern, she explained, is that people of color are often expected to do extra work simply to participate in the industry.

Saldaña’s comments come after she faced a political and cultural question immediately after winning the Oscar for best supporting actress in 2025 for “Emilia Pérez.” In the Oscars press room, a journalist told her the film had been “really hurtful for us Mexicans.”

Saldaña responded with an apology to those who were offended but also defended the film’s intentions. She said the movie was created from a place of love and was ultimately about friendship and four women trying to survive difficult circumstances.

At the same time, Saldaña said she was willing to listen to Mexican audiences and discuss how the film could have been made better.

Now starring in the third season of “Lioness” on Paramount+, Saldaña was honored at the Locarno Film Festival with a Special Honorary Pardo. Her latest comments highlight a broader issue in entertainment: whether actors from underrepresented groups are being given the same opportunity as their colleagues to discuss their work rather than being treated as spokespeople for entire communities.