Zoe Saldaña’s life story reads like a screenplay filled with blockbuster roles, but her most cherished part is away from the camera lights. She is a dedicated partner to her husband, artist Marco Perego Saldaña, and a mother to their three wonderful sons.
While she has become a global star through franchises like Avatar and Guardians of the Galaxy, Saldaña has built a grounded, loving, and private home that is her greatest source of joy and inspiration. Their tale is one of instant connection, a shared commitment to progressive values, and the beautiful, chaotic adventure of raising a family together.
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A Whirlwind Romance and a Lasting Partnership
Zoe Saldaña’s love story with Marco Perego Saldaña began not on a movie set, but on an airplane. In 2013, the actress found herself on a flight from Los Angeles to New York, where she encountered the Italian artist. It was a moment of immediate and profound connection that Saldaña has described as a powerful “vibration,” a feeling so strong it made her, a self-professed logical person, a believer in love at first sight.
Their relationship moved at an incredible pace. After knowing each other for only a few months, the two, who had both individually vowed never to marry, decided to elope. They were married in a private ceremony just three weeks after making that decision in the summer of 2013.
In a move that highlighted his modern and secure approach to their partnership, Marco Perego made the heartfelt decision to take his wife’s last name, becoming Marco Perego Saldaña. When Saldaña expressed concerns that he might be “emasculated” by this choice, he famously replied, “Ah, Zoe, I don’t give a sheet.” Saldaña later celebrated his decision on social media, writing that men who lead by example in this way will be remembered for standing by change.
This act set the tone for their marriage, which Saldaña has described as a “gender-neutral” or “gender-fluid” environment where both partners participate in all tasks, from fixing things to domestic duties, setting a powerful example for their children.
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The Joy of Raising Three Boys
At the heart of Zoe Saldaña and Marco Perego’s world are their three sons. The couple first welcomed twins, Cy Aridio and Bowie Ezio, in November 2014. Two years later, their family grew again with the birth of their youngest son, Zen Anton Hilario, in December 2016. As of 2025, Cy and Bowie are 10 years old, and Zen is 8.
Saldaña has spoken openly about her philosophy as a mother, emphasizing that she and Marco are intentional about creating a nurturing and open-minded household. She has stated they are raising their boys in a “gender-neutral environment” where they are encouraged to be well-rounded individuals. “We’re very hard on our boys the same way we’re hard on women,” she told People. “And boys are encouraged to be strong and to suppress their emotions.”
Instead, they teach their sons to “honor themselves, their femininity, to celebrate their feminine self as well.” Reflecting their own diverse heritage, the couple is also raising their children to be trilingual in English, Italian, and Spanish.
While they are famously private and strive to give their kids “the anonymity that they need,” the boys have been their mother’s most enthusiastic supporters. They joined her on the red carpet at the 2025 Santa Barbara International Film Festival and, in a heartwarming moment, told E! News, “We just want to say we’re really proud of our mom for everything she’s done.”
The pinnacle of this family support came at the 2025 Academy Awards when Zoe Saldaña, winning her first Oscar for Emilia Pérez, thanked her spouse and children in a moving speech: “And to my husband with that beautiful hair, the biggest honor of my life is being your partner. You hung the moon in our beautiful, perfect sons, Cy, Bowie, and Zen. They fill our skies every night with stars.” It was a public declaration of what she clearly holds most dear: her role as Marco’s partner and a mother to their three boys.
