- 1999 – Made her television acting debut with a guest appearance on Law & Order.
- 2000 – Made her feature-film debut as ballet student Eva Rodriguez in Center Stage, drawing directly on her dance training.
- 2009 – Broke through internationally as Nyota Uhura in the Star Trek reboot and Neytiri in James Cameron’s Avatar, establishing herself in two major science-fiction franchises.
- 2014 – Joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Gamora in Guardians of the Galaxy, adding a third prominent science-fiction franchise to her career.
- 2018 – Received a Hollywood Walk of Fame star for motion pictures and founded BESE, expanding her work into media focused on Latino stories and voices.
- 2023 – Took on a leading television and production role by starring in and executive-producing the Paramount+ espionage drama Special Ops: Lioness.
- 2024 – Shared the Cannes Film Festival’s Best Actress award with her Emilia Pérez co-stars, marking a major critical breakthrough beyond her blockbuster work.
- 2025 – Won the Golden Globe, BAFTA and Academy Award for supporting actress for Emilia Pérez; the Oscar was her first and made her the first American of Dominican origin to receive an Academy Award.
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