Ben Affleck Wanted Zoe Saldana To Play Graciela In Live By Night

Eminent Hollywood actress and the Avatar star Zoe Saldana says actor-director Ben Affleck specifically wanted her to play the role of Graciela in the movie Live by Night.

"Ben Affleck is a great film-maker, so when he called asking to meet with me, I agreed, even though I was pregnant and the timing didn't seem to work." Said the actress.

"But Ben was confident we could work that out, and told me, 'Graciela is a great character for you and, quite frankly, there's just no other actress I want for the role'," Saldana stated.

Talking about her character in the movie and how Ben Affleck helped her to portray the character of Graciela in the movie, Saldana stated, "When I read the script, I thought there was a real integrity to the way Ben chose to tell this story."

"Ben and I talked a lot about Graciela - who she was and the things that are important to her. If I am going to play someone's love interest, as I do in 'Live by Night', then it must be a meaningful and strong character." Added Saldana.

"And he promised me that together we'd strengthen the role - that we'd rehearse it and do whatever it took to make her come alive. I really appreciated that openness." Saldana explained further.