(Cover) - EN Showbiz - Zoe Saldana only feels successful if she's playing a role which would also suit a man.

The star was Neytiri in Avatar and has been outspoken about the direction she wants her career to go in. Zoe loves action roles and has no intention of taking parts as a male lead's love interest, explaining she wants to play characters which are exciting and complex.

"I refuse to play the girlfriend, mother, daughter or victim. I am proud to think that after Avatar, my next part wasn't just as the girlfriend of Mr. What's-his-name in a blockbuster," she explained.

"I don't work so hard to end up the girlfriend of the lead part. As a woman, I find it really humiliating. And there isn't anything victorious in it. Success, to me, means playing a part that a man could have done."

The star's latest character is Cataleya in Colombiana. Cataleya is an assassin who is determined to avenge the deaths of her parents when she was a little girl.

The part appealed because the character is so gutsy. Zoe has always been drawn to characters like that, explaining she always wanted to be a superhero when she was growing up.

"When I was a child, I never used to pretend to be a princess, I was a ninja, Sarah Connor or Wonder Woman. I would imagine I was an action lady. When we were celebrating Halloween, I wanted to dress up as Batman," she laughed to L'Express. "I used to watch Terminator every Wednesday afternoon. I love science fiction I 'd love to put myself in jeopardy. Which is surprising for a little girl. Being an actress allows me to do it even more." (C) Cover Media