Zoe Saldana 'bullies made me tough'

Zoe Saldana believes she has school bullies to thank for her tough girl image.

The sexy star says she feels she has gained the ultimate revenge on those who picked on her during her childhood by turning the experience to her advantage

. “It’s made me stronger,” says Zoe. “I have an eight-year-old niece going through the same thing and I have been able to tell her what happened to me and how to deal with it.

“As a kid, if I got the crap kicked out of me, the one thing that they were not going to take was my dignity and my sense of self. So, I do believe that you have to defend yourself.”