Zoe Saldana is not shy when it comes to expressing what it feels like to be a woman in society.
The 35-year-old actress, who graces the latest issue of Manhattan magazine, shares her views about what it means to her being female and standing up for equality in this day and age.
"It's very hard being a woman in a man's world, and I recognized it was a man's world even when I was a kid," the Avatar starlet revealed to the magazine. "It's an inequality and injustice that drove me crazy, and which I always spoke out against—and I've always been outspoken."
The New Jersey native looks positively stunning in the cover shot, sporting a revealing cream sleeveless jumpsuit with a long gold necklace. Her hair is styled in soft waves and she is staring straight into the camera, while striking a fierce pose.
Saldana, who secretly tied the knot with Marco Perego in July, says that she does have a reputation for being selective when it comes to taking on a certain roles.
"I'm known for being selective in part I either pick or pursue, and what matters most is that they be good female roles where the character isn't cardboard or objectified, and where there's real substance," Saldana said. No generic girlfriend or wife, and no sexy bombshell. Enough of that already!"
The Star Trek Into Darkness beauty credits taking ballet as a child with helping her concentrate as well as helping her land her first movie role in the romantic drama, Center Stage.
"The barre, the piano, the breathing—they calmed and centered me, and allowed me to learn lessons physically, which is how I learn best," Saldana explained of taking this discipline of dance.
Saldana will next be seen in the crime thriller, Out of the Furnace, which she describes as "beautiful, intense and very real." Christian Bale and Casey Affleck also costar.
To read more of Saldana's interview, pick up the issue on newsstands on Wednesday, Dec. 4 and available for download on Tuesday, Dec 3.