I have never been challenged by a part the way I was by Neytiri. I did an intense six-month prep and I loved every minute of it. I took marshal arts, archery, horseback riding. I was okay with almost all of it except our trip to Hawaii before filming to experience a tropical environment like Pandora. Jim made us live for three days without technology…We were climbing rocks and digging in the dirt. I was almost naked for three days and as muddy as a dead rat. I finally went, ‘I can’t deal with this’ and Jim said, ‘Oh, come on, Zoe, suck it up!’”

 

Jim created the [Na’vi] language and then we worked with a linguist to learn it. One of the things that was even harder was figuring out how to speak English with a Na'vi accent, trying to decide what that sounds like. The actors are from all over and have different accents. My family background is from the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, CCH Pounder is the West Indies, Laz Alonso is Cuban, all of us with our own accents. We had to find a way to make this new accent, and all of us sat down and tried to meet in the middle.

 

It was one of the most amazing experiences I've ever had. The technology that Jim’s using is so ahead of it’s time, that's why it took so long to shoot, but it was worth it….He didn't want it to look like I was working in front of a green screen and I didn't want that either. So I just really had to create this world in my imagination and I fell so in love with the story and the characters that it all became very real to me.

 

I saw just three minutes of the film and I was like oh my god, I was so impressed. I thought Jim did a really good job of putting Neytiri together. I thanked him for making her look hot. I mean, Neytiri is very sexy and lean with a really cut bod. I’m in pretty good shape, but I don’t look that buff.

 

I feel so blessed with how things are going. I feel like I’m doing films that really speak to who I am as a person. I love roles that are going to challenge me and stretch me as an actress, not to mention kick-ass characters who can be the heroes and save everything, and also be vulnerable and be saved…I became an actress to be in great movies, to work with amazing filmmakers and I think that’s how I want to leave a mark if I’m ever granted that opportunity.