James Cameron responds to Zoe Saldaña's Oscar win: "I was so happy to see Zoe acknowledged as the world-class performer we, in the Avatar family, have always known her to be"

James Cameron has praised Avatar star Zoe Saldaña after she won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress at the 97th Academy Awards. She picked up the gong for her role as lawyer Rita Mora Castro in Emilia Perez, Netflix's surprise musical hit.

"I was so happy to see Zoe acknowledged as the world-class performer we, in the Avatar family, have always known her to be," he told Variety. "Her acceptance speech was a noble reminder of what immigrant families bring to the US and to Hollywood."

Cameron was referencing how in her speech Saldaña spoke about how proud she was to be a "child of immigrant parents". The Marvel star added: "The fact that I’m getting an award for a role where I got to sing and speak in Spanish – my grandmother, if she were here, she would be so delighted, this is for my grandmother."

This isn't the first time that Cameron has gone out of his way to praise Saldaña, who revealed earlier this year that he got in touch after her Golden Globes win.

"I was sitting in the audience, and I received a message from James Cameron, who’s somewhere in New Zealand right now, cutting Avatar: Fire and Ash," the star said in the press room after her win. "And he, after all these years, believes in me. So that, to me, nourishes my desire to continue growing as an artist."

Saldaña plays Neytiri in the Avatar franchise, a role that she first took when she was in her 20s. She recently shared that she'd made a 26-year commitment to making the films, which have several sequels on the way, including Avatar: Fire and Ash, which is the third movie in the franchise and releases later this year.

For more, check out our coverage of the 2025 Oscars live as they happened and our round-up of all the 2025 Oscar winners.