Hollywood superstar Zoe Saldana, who recently featured in the new 'Star Trek' movie, has revealed that she has a place in her heart for Britney Spears after working with her years ago.

Saldana (pictured far right with the 'Toxic' beauty) has a small part in the pop hitmaker's 2001 film 'Crossroads' and told Look magazine that seeing her go through a very public breakdown in 2007 was tough, but she knew Spears would come through it even stronger:

"Britney never, that I know of, spoke ill about anybody. She was a small town girl with big dreams who made it and she was the cleanest spirit out of all the people that came out. Simple girl, small town girl, super sweet."

"I was very appreciative that I got to see that little side of her because then the years that followed were very gruelling for her and I felt nothing but compassion."

When asked how she handles her own fame, the actress confessed that she feels as if she is always struggling to protect her own privacy: "It's hard for me to use words like 'famous' and 'celebrity'. But [I first felt] known where you go in a place and think, 'Why is everyone staring at me?' I have a hard time dealing with it. I grew up with a mum who's very private and my sisters and I have always been very discreet, so I maintain my life by aggressively protecting it."