Entertainment

6 Facts About Zoe Salanda's Hubby Marco Perego

by Georgette Eva

Actress Zoe Saldana and artist Marco Perego clearly value their privacy what with having secretly married last June and now keeping Saldana’s pregnancy under wraps for three months. There was wild speculation about the Guardians of the Galaxy star being in the motherly way because of some of her flowy fashion choices of late, but things are all on the table now as reports confirmed that Zoe Saldana is pregnant and is indeed expecting her first child with Perego. Us Weekly broke the news, and a source for the magazine even says that the Saldana and Perego want to have a big family.

The pair have been together for two years, and while they don’t shy away from walking the red carpet together, we really don’t know much about Perego, a well-known figure in the art community. All of that mystique definitely has some resemblance to Meryl Streep's relationship with her husband, sculptor Don Gummer, actually, but let's take a look at the few facts we know about the father-to-be.

He's an Artist

Perego is an Italian painter and sculptor. Some of his earlier paintings modernized fairy tales, particularly Snow White. He also made this incredible gum ball sculpture:

He Collaborates with Fashion Designers

Dolce & Gabana were some of his first buyers and he worked with the label to paint backgrounds for their 2008 "Where Fashion Meets Art" campaign.

He’s an Ex-Soccer Player

Venice’s professional soccer team recruited him when he was 17 years old, but he had to quit due to a leg injury when he was 21. He later moved to Brazil to recuperate and return to the game, before ultimately abandoned it altogether for New York.

He’s a Cinderella Story

He moved to New York and worked as a busboy in Spanish Harlem to support his art. In a 2007 interview with the New York Observer, Perego explained he put together a living as a waiter, a busboy, and soccer teacher while he tried to make it as an artist.

Bryan Bedder/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

His Nickname is "The Pirate"

No, he doesn’t have a hook for a hand, but Perego doesn't mind the nickname. He even sports a pirate themed belt buckle on occasion. Maybe it’s because of his swarthy sea looks and his long bleached locks. Possibly also because he’s racked in a ton of booty for his art. In one of his earlier shows in 2007, he sold works between $15,000 and $30,000.

He Didn't Like Hugging Saldana While She Filmed GOTG

For her role in Guardians of the Galaxy, Saldana sports green body paint, and the actress told E! that her husband wasn't a fan at the end of the day. “[It ruined] a couple of jeans and some T-shirts," she said, "I don’t think my husband was happy about getting hugged every evening and getting a lot of his clothing stained.”

Well, now with a wee one of their own on the way, Perego can prepare properly for the even bigger messes and spills to come.

Images: Getty Images