Zoe Saldana warned her husband not to take her last name

by

Sara McGinnis

posted in Celebrities

It seems we should be calling Zoe Saldana's husband, Marco Perego, by his married name: Marco Saldana. The actress, who is mom to 6-month-old twins Cy and Bowie, has opened up about the artist taking her name and more in the latest issue of InStyle.

Take a look at a few of the star's quotes from the accompanying interview...

Zoe Saldana on her post-baby body: “I don’t want to get back to where I used to be. I want to feel healthy, and not just fit into the old jeans I used to wear. I’m a woman now. My body has changed forever. It’s softer… and stronger.”

On how the babies have affected their marriage: “Finally, when we had our boys, I looked at my husband and I realized: I was meant for you, and you were meant for me. I’ve always felt comfortable around men as long as they were my friends. Now I finally feel comfortable with my lover.”

On Marco taking her last name: “I tried to talk him out of it. I told him, ‘If you use my name, you’re going to be emasculated by your community of artists, by your Latin community of men, by the world.’ But Marco looks up at me and says, ‘Ah, Zoe, I don’t give a s—.’”

Oh, how I love a good bucking of tradition -- even though I did nothing of the sort.

Nearly 13 years ago, when I tied the knot at age 21, I was pretty caught up in the romance of the whole idea of marriage. I was excited to be marrying my guy and changing my name felt like a union of the two of us. The idea of him changing his name never even came up.

All these years later I can't say I regret it, and in fact fully identify as Sara McGinnis. My maiden name feels like a funny thing of the past, like a person I don't even really remember. Maybe, in hindsight, if I'd spent more time as an adult with my maiden name I wouldn't have been willing to trade it in so easily.

Do you know who I really get a kick out of though? Cheryl Strayed, the author of Wild, which is known to many as the Reese Witherspoon hiking movie. Upon signing her divorce papers she opted to invent her own last name (strayed, as in diverted from the path) rather than keep her married name or revert to her maiden. That's pretty cool. I wonder if more couples marrying might consider doing the same rather than either person taking the other's surname?

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Did you take your spouse's last name? Why or why not?

Photo: Matt Baron/BEImages

 

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