Zoe Saldaña is excited for the “cool points” that come from starring in a movie for kids as a mom of three.

The 46-year-old Oscar winner shares three sons — twins Bowie and Cy, 10, and her youngest Zen, 8 — with husband Marco Perego.

During a Wednesday, June 4, appearance on Good Morning America to promote her new kids’ movie Elio, Saldaña opened up about what it means for her to work on a movie that caters to a younger audience.

She also revealed what her sons thought about seeing her on the big screen in a movie like this. However, she added that they aren’t all as excited about the prospect.

“Since becoming a parent, incorporating what I do — my art — into a genre that caters to children has always been a great interest to me,” the Avatar star said. “And I get to relate to them, and I also get some mad cool points as a mom.”

Despite those cool points, she said that Bowie and Cy are perhaps less excited about Elio since they are now watching more mature content: “But I do have to say, my 10-year-olds, they’re watching Friends now. They grow up too fast.”

“But my 8-year-old cannot wait for Elio to come out,” Saldaña said.

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She noted that her sons all had seen the movie, saying that they “like it” and enjoyed seeing her in it.

It didn’t hurt that the movie dealt with such relatable content.

“They immediately bought into the story. I think that everybody can relate to the themes that Elio talks about: About feeling like an alien in your own skin, feeling like you don’t belong,” she reflected. “But longing to be a part of a community that accepts you and sees you for who you are. My boys definitely liked it.”

Saldaña stars in the movie, which Disney and Pixar has been teasing for more than two years, alongside Yonas Kibreab, who voices the titular character, an 11-year-old boy who is mistaken for the leader of the planet by a group of aliens.

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It’s been an emotional year for the Guardians of the Galaxy actress, who won her first Oscar at the 2025 ceremony. She took home the Best Supporting Actress statuette for her performance in Emilia Perez.

She was captured backstage at the March ceremony calling her sons to let them know about her big win in an emotional FaceTime. After taking home the trophy, she told PEOPLE that her sons talk about the moment “in soccer language.”

“It’s very much like, ‘it’s kind of like the World Cup mom. It’s like the World Cup of acting,’ ” she explained.

Saldaña also told PEOPLE that she was excited to take some time to slow down after finishing her Oscars campaign.

“The moment everything was over, I just really just wanted to go back home and just take my kids to school and be a little more present in their lives because they took this leap of faith with me — my whole family did — and I wanted to catch up on this time,” she admitted. “It’s through their eyes that I’m able to understand the impact of being recognized for this [and] what it means for us and for anybody. It’s just so great.”

Elio premieres in theaters on June 20.