Zoe Saldaña has voiced her frustrations about the lack of recognition for actors who deliver performances through CGI-heavy roles. In an interview with The Independent, the actor shared her perspective on the challenges actors face during awards season when their work relies on visual effects.

“They do,” Saldaña said when asked if award bodies struggle to see beyond CGI in performances. “Old habits die hard, and when you have old establishments, it’s really hard to bring forward change. And I understand that, so I’m not bitter about it, but it is quite deflating when you give 120 percent of yourself into something. I mean, not winning is OK, not being nominated is OK, but when you’re overlooked and then minimized and completely disregarded…”

Saldaña, a current Oscar contender for Emilia Pérez, is no stranger to groundbreaking sci-fi roles in Avatar, Star Trek, and Guardians of the Galaxy. However, her work in these films often went unnoticed by major awards bodies. Her role as Neytiri in Avatar—with its iconic blue skin and expressive eyes—was achieved through a combination of her performance and visual effects. Despite Avatar earning three Oscars for cinematography, art direction, and visual effects, not a single acting nomination was received, even after James Cameron campaigned for her inclusion.

Recalling scepticism about her performance in Avatar, Saldaña revealed, “People argued that my performance was accomplished by technicians alone. I know the difference between that and what we did.”

Still, Saldaña insists her love for acting goes beyond accolades. “At some point you have to ask yourself: why is it that I do what I do? Is it so others can give me approval? Or is it because I don’t want to do anything else?”