She may have had a high-profile career, starring in films like Guardians of the Galaxy and Avatar, but Zoe Saldaña has always been with the “best people” in her life. She says there’s nothing better than being there: her husband Marco Perego and their three sons, Cy, Bowie and Zen.
Saldaña and Perego have done their best to keep their children out of the spotlight. “Marco and I very much respect our children’s privacy,” she told PEOPLE in 2017. “We have to make choices for our children, and part of that is giving them the anonymity they need.”
Still, Saldaña’s children are aware of her Hollywood fame.
“I can see that[Zen]is trying to put me in his heart like, ‘Okay, you’re mom, but you’re also Gamora,'” she said of her youngest child in an interview with InStyle. Ta. “The fact that it gives you street cred with the kids is fun and great.”
Tout.
Zoe Saldana/Instagram
In October 2024, Saldaña posted a photo of Cy and Bowie dressed as Guardians character Gamora on Instagram, sending encouragement to fellow working moms.
“It’s hard to be out and about when you’re away from your kids. To all the moms out there who are making the ultimate sacrifice for their dreams. That dream is their dream too! Trust the process… #momlife,” she wrote. wrote.
Here’s everything Zoe Saldaña said about parenting her three sons.
Sai Alidio and Bowie Ezio, 9 years old
Zoe Saldana’s Instagram
Identical twins Sai Alidio and Bowie Ezio Perego-Saldaña were born on November 27, 2014 in Los Angeles. The twins were born prematurely by emergency caesarean section. Saldaña did not announce her pregnancy before giving birth.
After welcoming her children, the new mom opened up about her pregnancy-related health issues.
“Your body changes dramatically, inside and out,” the actress said in 2015. It’s hard to explain unless you’ve experienced childbirth. ”
As Saldaña says, the two boys were inseparable from birth, always in sync. “They do everything together!” she told PEOPLE in 2017. “They sleep at the same time, eat at the same time and poop at the same time.”
Saldaña said being the boy’s mother was a humbling and educational experience.
“I couldn’t be more in awe of who they are as people and who they are as boys,” she said. “We put so much pressure on our children. Throughout our upbringing, we tinker with a lot of things. So I rely on books and talk to the boys’ parents and… We take the advice we can get from fathers and mothers. “My Husband” I am a sponge because we are determined to raise a happy, stress-free man. ”
Zoe Saldana’s Instagram
Is there one rule that helps her and Perego set boundaries? There are no play dates.
“Our children are free,” she says, explaining why she prefers having Cy and Bowie’s friends over to their home rather than sending her sons to their playmates’ homes. “We are naughty. We are a noisy family. … Come to our house any time, our door is open. But we do not want them to be exposed to negligence or , I never want anyone to be mad at them ’cause they’re just boys. ”
In addition to making sure the home had an open door, Saldaña and Perego designed the space specifically with their children in mind. The actress told Architectural Digest that she wants their home to be “beautiful, affordable, and very artistic,” as well as “safe for kids.”
“I have three boys and they’ll jump around and tear them up and chew them. I also wanted durability,” she explained.
In October 2023, Saldaña told PEOPLE that she and Perego teach their sons to “respect women” and “celebrate their feminine selves.”
She added: “Just as we are tough on women, we are also very tough on boys. “I accepted the position knowing that I would be nurturing the company,” he added.
Zen Anton Hilario, 7 years old
Zoe Saldana’s Instagram
Zen Anton Hilario Perego-Saldaña was born in Los Angeles on December 12, 2016 Like his older brothers, Zen came along quietly, but reportedly has an unusual birth story. But parents are waiting to share it.
“Given the process we went through to complete our family, this is something we are very careful about,” Saldaña told PEOPLE in 2017. I’m sharing it because all the forces that helped me bring him together felt good. Because I know it will be very positive and inspirational to many families who are trying to complete themselves but can’t do it in traditional ways. ”
Being the younger identical twin brother isn’t always easy for Zen, but he continues to hold his own despite being a year and a half younger than Cy and Bowie.
“They’re identical twins and they’re really attached at the waist, and their connection is really amazing,” Saldaña said. “So it takes a lot of conscious action to not forget about Zen. But Zen never lets you forget. He’s really persistent.”
Zoe Saldana’s Instagram
The couple is raising their sons to speak Italian, Spanish and English. Perego is from Italy, and Saldaña is of Dominican and Puerto Rican descent.
“I think they’re doing a lot better than us,” Saldaña tells PEOPLE of her sons. “They understand all three languages, and they choose who they speak those languages to: they speak Italian with their Italian grandparents, they speak Spanish with their (Spanish-speaking) grandparents, and they choose who they speak those languages with. We will speak to them in English, but they will understand whatever language we speak.”
One of the things parents stress to their sons is that fathers and mothers can be powerful role models.
“When you look at parenting, patriarchy and patriarchy, and daddy’s girls and momma’s boys, my husband and I both think that’s totally ridiculous and totally unhealthy as a way to discipline a child.” said the actress. “You’re giving them a very distorted and limited view of what a woman’s role should be and what a man’s role should be in a family.”
In February 2023, Saldaña shared an adorable photo of her and Zen during a “day at work” on her Instagram Stories.
In one photo, the Avatar actress can be seen kissing her young son on the cheek. “Thank you for joining me today ❤️,” she wrote in the snap.
