As Zoe Saldaña celebrates her first Golden Globe triumph, she has revealed that James Cameron, the director of her film Avatar, has given her a heartfelt message of congratulations.

The performer, who is 46 years old and has acted in both of Cameron’s science fiction epics, Avatar (2009) and Avatar: The Way of Water (2022), was given the Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role, Motion Picture for her performance in Emilia Pérez, a controversial crime musical that was released on Netflix.

In the category, Saldaña emerged victorious, surpassing her fellow co-star Selena Gomez, as well as Ariana Grande (from Wicked), Felicity Jones (from The Brutalist), Margaret Qualley (from The Substance), and Isabella Rossellini (from Conclave).

After the Guardians of the Galaxy actor was announced as the winner at the ceremony held on January 5, she addressed the media in the press room and disclosed that she had gotten a text message from Cameron, who is 70 years old, while she was sat in the audience attending the event.

While I was seated in the audience, I received a message from James Cameron, who is currently editing Avatar: Fire and Ash. He is currently located someplace in New Zealand. In spite of the passage of time, he continues to have faith in me,” Saldaña expressed.

In a different part of the backstage area, she was questioned by reporters about how it felt to finally be acknowledged for her achievements.

“I am at the height of happiness. There is a feeling of presence, which brings about joy. My experience in this field spans a quarter of a century. I was in my late teens and early twenties when I made the shift from being a dancer to an actor. At that time, I had no idea what was going to happen to me in the future,” Saldaña remarked.

The fact that I have always had a job is something that I have seen firsthand. There have always been nice people in my life, and I have an incredible gift that cannot be denied. Filmmakers who are undoubtedly talented have faith in me, bet on me, and trust me. Therefore, this acknowledgment is of the utmost importance for my continuing career as an artist,” she went on to say.

Additionally, there are no books. I am content. I’m just — I’m 46 years old. She continued by saying, “There was a time, a couple of years ago, when I was kind of thinking about various alternative plans.” Is it possible for me to go into a farm and immediately begin cultivating a garden and baking goods? To tell you the truth, I am an artist in every sense of the word, and I have to make something new every single day.

Emilia Pérez went on to win some of the most prestigious cinema awards that evening, including the award for Best Motion Picture in a Language Other Than English and the award for Best Motion Picture in a Musical or Comedy Subgenre.

The drama is directed by Jacques Audiard, a French director, and it follows a Mexican lawyer named Saldaña who is recruited to assist a legendary cartel head named Karla Sofía Gascón in retiring and transitioning into life as a woman.

The award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy was won by Sofía Gascón, who was also a co-star of Saldaña. This woman made history by becoming the first transgender woman to receive the prize.