Zoe Saldaña has revisited her experience filming 2003's *Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl*, describing it as an early lesson in the excesses of Hollywood. The actress told *Time Magazine* that she "left that production with a really bitter taste of Hollywood," calling the blockbuster "big," "excessive" and "egocentric." Her comments offer a candid counterpoint to the film's huge commercial success and highlight how gruelling early experiences shaped her later career choices.

Directed by Gore Verbinski and starring Johnny Depp and Keira Knightley, the film had a substantial $160 million budget but went on to gross roughly five times that figure worldwide, spawning four sequels. Saldaña moved on quickly afterwards, appearing the following year in Steven Spielberg's *The Terminal*, an experience she said gave her "hope and confidence." She subsequently became one of Hollywood's highest-grossing actors through roles in *Avatar*, the rebooted *Star Trek* films and the *Guardians of the Galaxy* franchise.