Zoë Saldana Talks Difficulties of Balancing Work and Motherhood While Filming 'Star Trek Beyond'

— -- "Star Trek Beyond" was a big draw at the box office, and one of the stars of the movie is opening up about her struggles during filming.

Zoë Saldana told People magazine about the largest obstacle she faced on the "Star Trek" set: separating from her then-6-month-old twins.

“The first week back at work, I think I cried every day in my trailer,” the actress told People. “But I remember as soon as they would tell me ‘We’re ready for you on set,’ I would still skip to set. I love what I do.”

Saldana, 38, and her husband Marco Perego-Saldana became parents to Cy Aridio and Bowie Ezio shortly before filming began. Though Saldana acknowledges a mother’s need for her own time, including her time spent working, she admits that, like any mother, she worries.

“They still don’t really have an accurate concept of time, but they’re becoming a little anxious. And that’s when you ask people, you ask a therapist, ‘Is this normal?’ You read books, you go on Google...but I always explain to them that I come and I go, but Mama has to work,” she said.

She added: “I also make sure that they see me happy when they come visit me at work — they need me to lead by example."

Aside from the psychological component of going back to work, Saldana also considered the physical limitations of her body given her recent pregnancy, which lead her to ask writers not to include her in anything too “stunt-y.”

“You’re not as sturdy as you believe yourself to be and I wanted to give my body time. I didn’t want to force myself into anything,” she said, noting that writers Simon Pegg and Doug Jung were incredibly understanding of this request.

Despite the challenges presented by motherhood, Saldana will never sacrifice her career, she said.

“I carry pain like a rock in my chest whenever I’m away from my husband and children, but I love what I do, and I can’t give that up," she said.