Actress Zoe Saldaña, of Dominican and Puerto Rican origin, was recognized this Wednesday by the Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people of 2026 and is among the four prominent personalities on its cover, in an edition that underlines her impact on global cinema and her status as the highest-grossing actress in history.
Director James Cameron, author of the text dedicated to the performer, highlights that Saldaña, an Oscar winner, has starred in films with a combined gross higher than that of any other actor and highlights both his versatility and his pride in his Afro-Latin roots and his influence on and off the screen.
The filmmaker also highlights his ability to “build iconic characters that have marked several generations of viewers,” such as the warrior Neytiri in the ‘Avatar’ saga or the deadly Gamora in the Marvel universe.
According to Cameron, these interpretations have made Saldaña “a central figure of contemporary cinemacapable of moving between emotional vulnerability and physical strength with great naturalness.
Time also highlights its role as one of the most influential figures in global entertainment, not only for her success at the box office, but for her constant presence in some of the most important Hollywood franchises, such as ‘Star Trek’, ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ or ‘Emilia Pérez’, a film with which she won the Oscar for best supporting actress.
Saldaña is also recognized “for her commitment to stories focused on complex female characters and for her interest in expanding his career towards producing, writing and directing“.
The magazine also highlighted the president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, as one of the 100 most influential people of the yeara list in which she is the only Latin American leader and shares the ‘Leaders’ category with her American counterpart, Donald Trump.
Also listed Puerto Rican actor Benicio del Toro in the Artists category; the Peruvian activist Mari Luz Canaquiri Murayari and the Brazilian researcher Luciano Moreira among the Innovators.
The Puerto Rican singer Rauw Alejandro and the American activist Kica Matos in Icons; the us senator Marco Rubio and the director general of the IAEA Rafael Grossi They also share in Leaders; and American Chicana activist Dolores Huerta in the Pioneers category.
