'It's hard being a woman in a man's world': Zoe Saldana opens up about breaking boundaries and why she'll never play the 'sexy bombshell'

Zoe Saldana is far from just a pretty face.
The star, best known for her roles in Avatar - the highest grossing movie of all time - and Star Trek, has long chosen not to rely on her movie-star good looks, instead sculpting out a rewarding career for herself playing tough female characters that are breaking boundaries.

Opening up in the latest issue of Manhattan magazine, the 'outspoken' cover girl reveals she's 'driven crazy' by inequality and goes out of her way to prove she can do anything a male can do.

Woman on top: Zoe Saldana talks about breaking boundaries in a man's world as she covers the latest issue of Manhattan magazine

'It's very hard being a woman in a man's world, and I recognised it was a man's world even when I was a kid,' she says. 'It's an inequality and injustice that drove me crazy, and which I always spoke out against - and I've always been outspoken.
'I love learning new skills, especially those you're told girls aren't good at - like parallel parking. Hey, I'm going to learn to ride a Ducati!'
That mentality also comes into play when the 35-year-old picks and chooses film roles, explaining that you'll never see her portraying a character without substance.
To that end, 'generic' characters and 'sexy bombshells' are strictly off-limits.

'I love learning new skills, especially those you're told girls aren't good at': The 35-year-old has carved out a career for herself playing tough female leads in films including Avatar and Star Trek

'I'm known for being selective in parts I either pick or pursue, and what matters most is that they be good female roles where the character isn't cardboard or objectified, and where there's real substance. No generic girlfriend or wife, and no sexy bombshell. Enough of that already!' she exclaims.
The stunning star channels her strength as she poses on the cover, hands on her thighs, clad in a cream silk jumpsuit with plunging neckline.
The raven-haired beauty shows off her lean physique in the somehow androgynous attire, with a long gold necklace falling between her breasts.

'We weren't raised to be princesses': The actress reveals the life lessons that were instilled in her following her father's death when she was nine years old, after which the family moved back to the Dominican Republic from the US

Her hair is windswept and her make-up is tough but feminine, with dark, smoky eyes, nude lips and strong, chiselled cheekbones.

The accompanying photo shoot sees the trained dancer contort her body into a number of high-fashion poses while dressed in striking designer clothing.
Crediting ballet for teaching her patience and to be centred and to concentrate, the star also has the discipline to thank for her rise to fame, after scoring a role in 2000 smash hit dance film Center Stage.
'Before ballet, I had trouble concentrating, and I wouldn’t even try to concentrate on things I wasn't interested in. The barre, the piano, the breathing - they calmed and centred me, and allowed me to learn lessons physically, which is how I learn best,' she explains.

Happily married: The star wears a simple gold band on her ring finger during the high-fashion shoot, though the subject of her secret wedding to artist Marco Perego in June is strictly off-limits

While the subject of her secret wedding to artist Marco Perego, 34, in June is off-limits, the actress happily opens up about her difficult childhood.
Following the death of her beloved father, Aridio, when she was just nine, her mother, Asalia, moved her and her two sisters, Mariel and Cisely, back to the Dominican Republic from New Jersey.
The next eight years shaped her incredibly and gave her a work ethic instilled in her to this day, allowing her to tackle the pressures and demands of Hollywood.
'My sisters and I weren't raised to be princesses; we were taught to want love and to recognise love, but not to be tempted to sacrifice things you can provide for yourself for love. We were taught to work.'

Strike a pose: The trained dancer credits ballet with keeping her focused and helping her to concentrate, while it also gave her her start in movies, when she was cast in 2000 dancing flick Center Stage

With three new movies currently in post-production, and another three in the works, it appears that mentality is paying off.
Her latest offering, Out Of The Furnace, in which she stars alongside Christian Bale, Woody Harrelson and Casey Affleck, is already garnering rave reviews from critics ahead of its release on December 6.
Zoe calls the crime drama 'beautiful, intense and very real', adding, 'My takeaway thought in all respects was: Be grateful.' 
The new issue of Manhattan magazine is on newsstands everywhere on Tuesday.

'No generic girlfriend or wife, and no sexy bombshell': Zoe has strict standards when it comes to the acting roles she accepts, refusing to play bit parts with no substance