Saldana's tearful tribute to mum

Zoe Saldana has given an emotional tribute to her mother.

The Avatar actress is extremely close to her mum, Asalia Nazario, and applauded her during a surprise party held in her honour.

Zoe shared video footage from the tribute, filmed for AOL web series My Hero, on Thursday.

In it, the star and her sisters, Mariel and Cisely, tearfully recalled how their mother was a pillar of strength in the wake of their father’s death, when Zoe was only nine.

"You are the ultimate rock star because you became my friend, because you showed us your humanity when we were too young to understand," the actress said as she wiped away tears. "We got it and I'm so grateful for that. So, thank you."

Zoe previously shared touching memories of her father, who died in a car accident.

"He was very possessive of his daughters. And he had the best laugh,” she remembered in an interview with UK newspaper The Telegraph published back in July. “He laughed with an open mouth: my sisters and I are told that we laugh that way. You would never think the way I laugh belongs to my body. I laugh like an old Latino man,” she smiled.

In a promo previously released for My Hero, Zoe applauded her mother.

"I've never met anybody with the vulnerability and the strength that my mum has,” she said.

The star is now beginning a family of her own.

She is expecting twins with husband Marco Perego.