Zoë Saldana has opened up about the challenges of balancing her demanding career with family life, admitting that finding a perfect balance between work and being present for her children can be difficult.
The actress spoke candidly about the reality of juggling professional commitments with motherhood, explaining that there are periods when she feels she has managed to find the right rhythm, while other times leave her struggling to keep up with both sides of her life.
“I wish I knew how to balance it. Sometimes there are seasons in which I feel like I have a grip on it, and like lately, because I’m promoting two wonderful projects. I’ve just been non-stop and on the road,” Saldana said.
She acknowledged that her career requires sacrifices from not only herself but also her family, describing the emotional cost of spending time away from her children as painful.
“These are sacrifices that we all make as a family together, and it is painful. So all we can do is just manage that pain,” she explained.
Saldana also offered advice to parents, particularly mothers, who often feel guilty or conflicted about pursuing careers and personal ambitions while raising their children.
“That’s always what I try to tell parents, mothers especially, that feel sort of torn all the time. Just manage being torn,” she said.
According to the actress, the difficulty comes from genuinely caring about both aspects of life and not wanting to disappoint either her family or herself.
“It’s hard because you care about both things in your life, and you don’t want to let either things down, but you want to do it,” Saldana added.
She also encouraged parents to reconsider the language they use when talking about their responsibilities and personal choices.
“Remove the word ‘have.’ You don’t ‘have’ to do anything that keeps you away from your kids—if you WANT to do it, and then share that experience with them,” she said.
For Saldana, helping her children understand why she pursues her career is an important part of navigating the difficult moments.
“It’s a different level of understanding when they know that what I’m doing brings me happiness,” she explained.
The actress’ comments offer a candid look at the realities of parenting while maintaining a demanding career. Rather than presenting work-life balance as something that can always be perfectly achieved, Saldana described it as an ongoing process of managing difficult choices and helping her family understand the reasons behind them.
Her remarks have also sparked conversations about the pressure parents often face to excel in every area of their lives at the same time, particularly when professional opportunities require travel and time away from home.
