Golden Globes 2025: Emilia Perez actress Zoe Saldana opens up about dyslexia; says, 'I’m really anxious and...'  

Golden Globes 2025: Emilia Perez actress Zoe Saldana opens up about dyslexia, Image Credits: Reuters

Zoe Saldana brought a heartfelt moment to the Golden Globes 2025 as she accepted the award for Best Supporting Actress in Any Motion Picture for her role in Emilia Perez. In an emotional speech, the actress candidly shared her experience living with dyslexia, the most common learning disability in the world.

Taking the stage at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles, Saldana began with a warning, “I know I don’t have much time. And I have dyslexia, so I tend to forget, when I’m really anxious and I’m filled with adrenaline, but my heart is full of gratitude.”

"Thank you so much to the Golden Globes for celebrating our film and honouring the women of Emilia Perez. Thank you so much. It is a first time for me and I'm just so blessed in sharing this moment with Selena and Karla and Jacque and all of my fellow nominees. I'm in awe of you, your strength, your complexity, and your undeniable talent," she said.

This isn’t the first time Saldana has spoken about the challenges she has faced due to dyslexia. In a previous interview with Variety, she admitted that her learning disorder, combined with anxiety, often deterred her from pursuing roles that required extensive dialogue or quick adaptability.

Saldana has carved a niche in Hollywood with blockbuster franchises like Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers, and Star Trek. However, stepping out of her comfort zone for projects like Special Ops: Lioness required immense preparation. To overcome the challenges of dyslexia, she requested scripts weeks in advance and hired a line reader to practice daily.

“I would memorise, memorise, memorise, and by the time that scene would come, it was an extension of who I was — like ballet,” she said. “The worst thing that [the writer Taylor Sheridan] can do is to change a scene last minute or add dialogue. That’s when I’m like, ‘Wait, wait, wait, that’s dyslexia 2.0’ — that will be the next step.”

Dyslexia, a learning disability that affects up to 20% of the global population, disrupts the brain's ability to process written language. It can make tasks like reading, writing, and memorising particularly difficult. While there is no cure, tailored educational strategies can significantly improve the quality of life for those living with it.

In a 2021 PSA for the Child Mind Institute, Saldana had reflected on the difficulties she faced in her education due to dyslexia and ADHD, offering encouragement to others with similar challenges. “[I’m] acknowledging that I’m scared, that I don’t want to stop growing, that I have so much more to learn. And that I want to work with many more filmmakers and do many more roles, different than the ones that I’ve done before,” she told Variety. “There’s something that comes with maturity — which is wisdom. And wisdom sometimes means just being honest with yourself.”