The 'From Scratch' star opened up to ET at an exclusive screening of the Netflix love story.
Love, loss, healing and self-discovery all come together as a beautiful recipe in From Scratch, and star Zoe Saldana is opening up about bringing the true story to the screen in the new Netflix romantic drama series.
Saldana spoke with ET's Cassie DiLaura at a special screening of From Scratch in Los Angeles on Monday, and she reflected on the beautiful and emotional challenge of starring in the project, based on the memoir of the same name by Tembi Locke.
"You do know that you’re walking into a story where you know that their fate was not as everybody was hoping for," Saldana explained. "But then you meet someone like Tembi Locke, who is the most hopeful individual -- just like a ray of light -- who has basically set the tone of what it means to start from scratch. Regardless whether you’re starting from scratch in a new country, in a brand new marriage, in a brand new love, also in a brand new transition in life and a new journey."
"Her book, her memoir, was just so genuinely sincere and it really talked about how complex grief can be," an emotional Saldana shared. "We just don’t really talk about grief as much as we should."
Saldana was essentially producer Reese Witherspoon's go-to choice for the role while the project was in development, and Saldana said that Witherspoon's confidence in her "means everything."
"What Reese is doing right now for women in Hollywood -- and for women in literature and for women writers, women producers, women actresses -- it's just marvelous," Saldana praised. "Obviously, when she calls and I will jump because she is a woman of her word and she is paving the way for so many of us and telling such great stories."
ET also spoke with Witherspoon at the screening, who showered Saldana -- and her performance in the project -- with praise.
"It’s just stunning to see her in a contemporary piece, as a modern woman, a mother, and this woman who looks for the beauty in life," Witherspoon shared. "I feel like she played it so beautifully. I think people are just gonna fall in love with these characters, fall in love with the world that we take you into.
"And I think we just need more romance in the world right now," Witherspoon added.
From Scratch premieres Oct. 21 on Netflix.
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