Saldaña has starred in the three highest-grossing films of all time — 2009’s “Avatar” and its 2022 sequel “The Way of Water,” which hold the No. 1 and 3 spots respectively, with 2019’s “Avengers: Endgame” sandwiched in between. She is also the first actress to have four movies gross more than $2 billion, including 2018’s “Avengers: Infinity War.” And her overall box office haul totals more than $14 billion.

But as much as those franchises (plus three “Star Trek” movies) have been Saldaña’s calling card, they’ve also been a golden cocoon, making her famous but also protecting her from taking the kinds of risky parts that would develop her talent. Now Saldaña is ready to spread her wings and fly, thanks in large part to her latest role in the operatic drama “Emilia Pérez.”

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