James Cameron texted Zoe Saldaña during the Golden Globes: 'He believes in me'

Zoe Saldaña is finally getting some awards to match her box office success. The actress has starred in the three biggest movies of all time (Avatar, Avengers: Endgame, and Avatar: The Way of Water) but just won her first Golden Globe on Sunday, taking home Best Supporting Actress for her performance in the Spanish-language French musical Emilia Pérez.

Speaking to the press after the ceremony, Saldaña said she feels supported by directors she's worked with, like Emilia Pérez mastermind Jacques Audiard. Her Avatar director James Cameron even went out of his way to support her during the ceremony.

“I was sitting in the audience and I received a message from James Cameron, who is in New Zealand right now cutting Avatar: Fire and Ash," Saldaña said. "After all these years, he believes in me. It nourishes my desire to continue growing as an artist."

Related: New Na'vi tribe and Pandoran creatures emerge in Avatar: Fire and Ash concept art

The Avatar films cast Saldaña as Neytiri, a warrior woman of the blue-skinned Na'vi race. In the first movie, Neytiri was introduced as the princess of the Omaticaya clan who falls in love with outsider Jake Sully (Sam Worthington). In Avatar: The Way of Water, which takes place 16 years later, Neytiri and Jake have started their own family with multiple children, but move from the tree-based Omaticaya habitat to the seaside Metkayina community for their safety. Saldaña will reprise the role in Avatar: Fire and Ash, due in theaters at the end of this year, but not many plot details are yet known about the third film in Cameron's blockbuster franchise.

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Avatar and Avatar: The Way of the Water are the first and third highest-grossing movies of all time, respectively. Both movies have received Best Picture and Best Director nominations at the Oscars, but there's been no recognition for the motion-capture performances by Saldaña and her costars. In a recent interview, Saldaña said "I understand that, so I’m not bitter about it, but it is quite deflating when you give 120 percent of yourself into something."

But now, thanks to Emilia Pérez, Saldaña finally is getting awards recognition. Saldaña plays Rita, a lawyer who helps a Mexican cartel boss (Karla Sofia Gascon) go through gender-reassignment surgery. In addition to Saldaña's win for Best Supporting Actress, Emilia Pérez also won for Best Original Song and Best Picture - Musical or Comedy, which was the last award of the night and had the cast and crew feeling very triumphant.

Related: Emilia Pérez stars Karla Sofía Gascón, Zoe Saldaña, and Selena Gomez, Best Actor and Actress predictions, and more in EW's The Awardist digital magazine

"There was a moment a couple of years ago where I was sort of thinking about plan B’s," Saldaña told press afterward. "Like, do I go into a homestead and start planning a garden and baking goods and just become the sexiest soccer mom? But the truth is I’m an artist through and through and I need to create every day."

Additional reporting by Lauren Huff.

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