Zoe Saldaña did learn free diving as part of her extensive physical preparation for her role as Neytiri in the Avatar sequels, including Avatar: The Way of Water and the upcoming Avatar: Fire and Ash. This training was essential because the films involve a significant amount of underwater performance capture, a technique that required the actors to perform complex movements underwater while wearing motion capture suits. The actors, including Saldaña, trained in free diving to be able to hold their breath and move naturally underwater during filming[1][3][4].
The preparation for these films was intense and multifaceted. Zoe Saldaña and the rest of the cast underwent training in various disciplines such as archery, martial arts, learning a new language (the Na’vi language), and moving like another species. Free diving was a critical part of this regimen because much of the story takes place in and around the oceans of Pandora, the fictional world created by James Cameron. The actors had to be comfortable and skilled in underwater environments to bring authenticity to their performances[1].
The underwater scenes were filmed using advanced performance capture technology in a massive 680,000-gallon water tank, as well as in open water locations such as the Bahamas and Hawaii. This required the actors not only to free dive but also to perform complex acting sequences underwater, which is a rare and demanding skill in filmmaking. The documentary “Fire and Water: Making The Avatar Films,” which premiered on Disney+ in November 2025, provides an in-depth look at this process, showing how the cast and crew perfected underwater performance capture and highlighting the physical and technical challenges involved[2][3][4].
Zoe Saldaña has spoken about how this kind of performance capture work allows actors to fully own their characters, as their physical movements and expressions are directly translated into the digital Na’vi characters. She emphasized the artistic discipline required and the physical demands, including free diving, that went into creating the immersive world of Pandora[1].
In summary, Zoe Saldaña did learn free diving specifically for her role in the Avatar sequels. This training was part of a broader, rigorous preparation involving multiple physical and artistic skills to meet the unique demands of underwater motion capture acting in James Cameron’s ambitious film projects[1][2][3][4].
