Marco Perego is an Italian artist, filmmaker, producer and former professional soccer player best known to many people as the husband of actress Zoe Saldaña. Born in Salò, Italy, in 1979, Perego built an unusual career that moved from professional soccer to visual art and eventually into film production, screenwriting and directing.

His connection to Hollywood grew after his marriage to Saldaña in 2013, but his professional identity extends well beyond being the spouse of a major film star. His work has included contemporary art exhibitions, independent film production and directing projects such as The Absence of Eden and Dovecote. In 2026, his profile in international cinema became significantly more prominent after three films connected to his production work appeared in competition at the Cannes Film Festival, with Fjord winning the Palme d’Or and Minotaur receiving the Grand Prix.

Quick Facts About Marco Perego

Who Is Marco Perego?

Marco Perego is a multidisciplinary Italian creative professional whose career has crossed sports, visual art and cinema. While his marriage to Zoe Saldaña brought him widespread public attention, he had already established himself as an artist before becoming involved more deeply in filmmaking.

His professional path is particularly notable because it was not a conventional journey into entertainment. Perego initially pursued soccer and played professionally in Italy before an injury changed his plans. He later moved toward art, established himself in New York’s creative community and eventually expanded his work into film.

Today, he is recognized not simply as Zoe Saldaña’s husband but as an artist and filmmaker with his own body of work. His official portfolio includes exhibitions and film projects across Europe and the United States.

How Old Is Marco Perego?

Marco Perego was born on March 1, 1979, making him 47 years old in 2026. His birthplace is listed as Salò, in the Lombardy region of northern Italy.

His Italian upbringing played an important role in his early life. Before entering the international art and film worlds, he developed a strong interest in soccer and pursued the sport seriously.

Where Was Marco Perego Born and Raised?

Marco Perego was born in Salò, a town in the Lombardy region of northern Italy. Public biographies describe him as coming from a working-class family. His father worked as a waiter, while his mother was a homemaker.

Soccer was an important part of his childhood and teenage years. Rather than following a traditional academic route into the arts, he initially focused on athletics and eventually pursued professional soccer.

Publicly available biographies do not provide a detailed, independently verified account of his formal university education, so specific claims about a college degree or art-school qualification should not be treated as established fact.

Marco Perego’s Early Soccer Career

Before becoming an artist and filmmaker, Perego was a professional soccer player.

He began pursuing the sport seriously as a teenager and reportedly entered the professional soccer system at around 17. His ambitions changed when he suffered a serious leg injury at approximately 21 years old, bringing his soccer career to an early end.

The injury became a major turning point. He spent time in Brazil during his recovery before eventually moving to New York, where he began building a new life and exploring his interest in art.

That transition is one of the defining parts of Marco Perego’s biography: a career that started on the soccer field eventually evolved into one centered on painting, visual expression and filmmaking.

Marco Perego’s Move to New York and Art Career

After leaving professional soccer, Perego moved to New York City to pursue art. His early years in the city were reportedly financially difficult, and he worked a variety of jobs, including positions as a busboy, waiter and soccer coach, while trying to establish himself creatively.

His first New York exhibition took place in 2005. Over time, his art career expanded beyond small beginnings, and his work appeared in galleries and international exhibitions.

Perego’s artistic portfolio has included drawing, painting, installations and multidisciplinary projects. His work has also been presented through major cultural institutions and exhibitions, including the Venice Biennale, the PalaisPopulaire in Berlin and the Centre Pompidou-Metz. His public collection history includes institutions and collections such as the Rennie Collection, Museo Jumex, the Hammer Museum and the Pinault Collection.

His artistic career remains important even as filmmaking has become a larger part of his professional identity.

Marco Perego’s Transition From Art to Film

Perego gradually expanded his creative interests into cinema. His filmmaking work has included producing, writing and directing, allowing him to combine visual storytelling with his experience as an artist.

His 2023 film The Absence of Eden marked a major step in that transition. Perego directed and co-wrote the film with Rick Rapoza, while also serving as a producer. The movie stars Zoe Saldaña, Garrett Hedlund and Adria Arjona and focuses on immigration, human trafficking and the difficult choices faced by people caught between borders.

The project was particularly significant because it brought Perego and Saldaña together professionally as well as personally.

What Movies Has Marco Perego Worked On?

Marco Perego’s filmography is still relatively selective compared with that of a conventional Hollywood director, but his work has become increasingly visible.

The Absence of Eden

The Absence of Eden is one of Perego’s most important early filmmaking projects. He served as director, writer and producer. Zoe Saldaña plays one of the central characters, and the film explores migration, survival and moral conflict at the U.S.-Mexico border.

The film was released in the United States in April 2024 after being produced as a 2023 film.

Dovecote

Perego followed that feature with Dovecote, a 2024 short film directed and co-written by him. Zoe Saldaña appears in the film alongside Marcello Fonte and other performers.

The story centers on a woman approaching release from a women’s prison in Venice and explores ideas surrounding freedom and personal transformation. The film was made in connection with the Holy See’s 2024 Venice Biennale Pavilion and was filmed inside the Giudecca women’s prison.

Dovecote was also shortlisted for the Academy Awards in the Best Live Action Short Film category, giving Perego another significant milestone in his emerging filmmaking career.

Petrichor

Petrichor represents another step forward for Perego as a filmmaker. He is credited as director, screenwriter and producer on the project, with Alexander Dinelaris also involved in the screenplay. The cast includes Valeria Golino and Isabella Rossellini.

The project has continued to form part of his expanding film career in 2026.

Marco Perego and the 2026 Cannes Film Festival

One of the biggest developments in Marco Perego’s career came in 2026.

According to reporting surrounding the 79th Cannes Film Festival, Perego became the first producer to have three films premiere in the festival’s main Competition in the same year. Those films included Cristian Mungiu’s Fjord, Andrey Zvyagintsev’s Minotaur and James Gray’s Paper Tiger.

The achievement became even more notable because two of those films received major awards.

Fjord won the 2026 Palme d’Or, the festival’s highest prize, while Minotaur received the 2026 Grand Prix.

For Perego, the Cannes success represented an important shift in how his professional career is viewed. He was no longer known only as an artist or as Zoe Saldaña’s husband; he had become a significant figure in independent film production.

His production company, Leaf Entertainment, has been associated with his efforts to support filmmaker-driven projects and independent cinema.

Who Is Marco Perego’s Wife?

Marco Perego is married to actress Zoe Saldaña, known for major film roles including Avatar and Guardians of the Galaxy.

The couple began dating in 2013 and married later that year in a private ceremony in London. Their relationship developed quickly, and their marriage has remained one of the more recognizable celebrity relationships involving an international actor and an artist-filmmaker.

Their professional lives have also overlapped. Saldaña appeared in Perego’s The Absence of Eden and Dovecote, while both have participated in artistic projects together.

Why Does Marco Perego Use Zoe Saldaña’s Last Name?

One of the most frequently searched details about Marco Perego is his decision to take his wife’s surname.

After their marriage, Perego adopted the surname Saldaña, and he has been publicly referred to as Marco Perego-Saldaña. Zoe Saldaña also used the combined surname Zoe Saldaña-Perego for a period. The decision attracted attention because it challenged the traditional expectation that a wife changes her surname rather than a husband.

The choice became an important part of the couple’s public story because both have spoken about questioning traditional gender roles within their relationship and family.

Does Marco Perego Have Children?

Yes. Marco Perego and Zoe Saldaña have three sons.

Their twins, Cy Aridio and Bowie Ezio, were born in November 2014. Their youngest son, Zen, was born in 2016.

The family has generally maintained a degree of privacy around the children. Saldaña and Perego have nevertheless discussed their approach to parenting, including exposing their sons to multiple languages, cultures and different ideas about gender roles.

In 2026, the couple continued to balance family life with demanding international film careers. Their sons have also been introduced to classic cinema as part of the family’s cultural routine.

Marco Perego’s Family Life With Zoe Saldaña

Family is an important part of Perego and Saldaña’s public identity, but neither has built a career around constant exposure of their private lives.

The couple have spoken about creating a household that does not rigidly divide responsibilities according to traditional ideas about men and women. Their children are also being raised around multiple languages and cultural influences, reflecting both parents’ international backgrounds.

Their shared creative interests have provided another connection. Saldaña has acted in several projects involving Perego, while Perego’s film career has continued to develop independently of her celebrity status.

What Is Marco Perego’s Net Worth?

Marco Perego’s exact net worth has not been publicly confirmed by a reliable financial source.

Various websites publish estimated figures for celebrity net worth, but these numbers generally lack independently verified financial documentation. Because Perego’s income comes from several areas—including art, film production, directing and other creative projects—an exact personal wealth figure cannot be established reliably from public information.

It is therefore more accurate to describe his financial position as undisclosed rather than presenting an unofficial estimate as fact.

What Is Marco Perego Doing Now in 2026?

As of 2026, Marco Perego is active across both art and cinema.

His official artistic portfolio lists a 2026 project at Centre Pompidou-Metz developed in collaboration with Invisible Mountain, as well as a 2026 exhibition at Jeffrey Deitch in Los Angeles. His recent work also includes the installation The Being, which was presented at Centre Pompidou-Metz in 2025.

At the same time, his filmmaking career has gained considerable momentum. His production work at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival connected him with Fjord, Minotaur and Paper Tiger, while Petrichor represents his continued development as a director and writer.

This combination of contemporary art and cinema makes Perego’s current career considerably broader than the public image of him as Zoe Saldaña’s husband.

FAQs About Marco Perego

Who is Marco Perego?

Marco Perego is an Italian artist, filmmaker, producer and former professional soccer player. He is also known internationally as the husband of actress Zoe Saldaña. His career has developed across visual art, film production, screenwriting and directing, with projects including The Absence of Eden, Dovecote and Petrichor.

How old is Marco Perego?

Marco Perego is 47 years old in 2026. He was born on March 1, 1979, in Salò, Brescia, Lombardy, Italy. His birthday passed in March 2026, making him 47 at the time of this article.

Who is Marco Perego’s wife?

Marco Perego’s wife is actress Zoe Saldaña. The couple married in London in 2013 after beginning their relationship earlier that year. Their professional lives have also overlapped, with Saldaña appearing in films and artistic projects associated with Perego.

Does Marco Perego have children?

Yes. Marco Perego and Zoe Saldaña have three sons: twins Cy and Bowie and their younger son Zen. The family has generally kept the children’s lives private while occasionally discussing their multilingual and multicultural upbringing.

What did Marco Perego do before becoming an artist?

Before pursuing art, Marco Perego was a professional soccer player. He played seriously from a young age and reportedly entered professional soccer at around 17. A leg injury at about 21 ended that career, after which he eventually moved to New York and began pursuing art.

What movies has Marco Perego directed?

Marco Perego has directed The Absence of Eden and the short film Dovecote. He is also attached to Petrichor as a director and writer. His filmmaking career combines his background in visual art with his interest in narrative cinema.

What is Dovecote about?

Dovecote is a 2024 short drama directed by Marco Perego. Set around a women’s prison in Venice, the film explores freedom and personal transformation through the experience of a woman approaching release. Zoe Saldaña stars, and the film was shortlisted for the Academy Awards’ Best Live Action Short Film category.

What happened to Marco Perego at Cannes in 2026?

Marco Perego had an especially notable 2026 Cannes Film Festival. Three films associated with his production work—Fjord, Minotaur and Paper Tiger—were in the festival’s Competition. Fjord won the Palme d’Or, while Minotaur won the Grand Prix.

What is Marco Perego’s net worth?

Marco Perego’s exact net worth has not been publicly confirmed by a reliable financial source. Although some online publications publish estimates, there is insufficient verified information to state a specific figure as fact. His income is associated with his work in art, filmmaking and production.

Conclusion

Marco Perego’s story is defined by an unusual transition from professional soccer to contemporary art and then to international filmmaking. His marriage to Zoe Saldaña made him widely recognizable, but his own creative career has continued to develop through exhibitions, film production, writing and directing.

In 2026, Perego reached a particularly important point in that journey through his production involvement with three Cannes Competition films, including the Palme d’Or-winning Fjord and Grand Prix-winning Minotaur. His continued work across art and cinema shows why interest in Marco Perego extends well beyond his relationship with one of Hollywood’s best-known actresses.