“For me, the perfect role is one that was different from the last,” said actress Zoe Saldaña, 31, during a phone conference with EXTRA to promote her latest action film, “The Losers.” “I wanted to explore what it would be like to play a badass chica.”

In the film, which is adapted from a Vértigo comic book of the same name, Saldaña plays Aisha, a sexy operative who joins a team of mercenaries on the hunt for a rogue CIA agent.

During our interview, Saldaña, who is of Dominican and Puerto Rican descent, talked about the physical nature of the role and why she never dressed like princess characters for Halloween when she was a girl.

EXTRA: Is the action drama something you are comfortable doing now?
Zoe Saldaña: It’s definitely difficult because you’re there doing something that you don’t do naturally. What helped me was my dance background. It’s a combination of different things like working with a good stunt coordinator that you can trust with your life. It’s fun when you’re able to incorporate your body into your character.

What drew you to the character of Aisha?
I had never done a character like her before. I read the script three years ago when another director was attached. The character just blew my mind. The kind of physical behavior that was going to be required of whoever was going to play Aisha was going to be a challenge. I love pushing myself.

How did you go from being on such a high with a record-breaking movie like “Avatar” to another movie?
“Avatar” was an amazing journey and film. I feel blessed that I am getting characters that are different and challenging. I like to try different things. Aisha was just another character I was ...