Actress Zoe Saldaña, of Dominican and Puerto Rican origin, was recognized Wednesday by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people of 2026 and is among the four personalities featured on its cover, in an edition that highlights 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, notes that Oscar-winning Saldaña has starred in films that have grossed more combined than any other actor and highlights both her versatility and pride in her Afro-Latino roots and influence on and off 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 lethal Gamora in the Marvel universe.
According to Cameron, these performances have made Saldaña “a central figure in contemporary cinema, capable of transitioning between emotional vulnerability and physical strength with great naturalness”.
Time also highlights her role as one of the most influential figures in global entertainment, not only for her success at the box office, but also for her constant presence in some of Hollywood’s most important franchises, such as ‘Star Trek’, ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ or ‘Emilia Perez’, a film for which she won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.
Saldaña is also recognized “for her commitment to stories centered on complex female characters and for her interest in expanding her career into producing, writing and directing”.
The magazine also highlighted the president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, as one of the 100 most influential people of the year, a list in which she is the only Latin American president and shares the ‘Leaders’ category with her U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump.
Also on the list are Puerto Rican actor Benicio del Toro in the Artists category; Peruvian activist Mari Luz Canaquiri Murayari and Brazilian researcher Luciano Moreira among the Innovators.
Puerto Rican singer Rauw Alejandro and U.S. activist Kica Matos in Icons; U.S. Senator Marco Rubio and IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi also share in Leaders; and Chicano-American activist Dolores Huerta in the Pioneers category, reported Agencia EFE.
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