ACTRESS Zoe Kravitz is killing it as the new Catwoman! Her portrayal of the sexy villain in the newly-released The Batman has been gaining great reviews from critics and fans alike. Her close pal, Taylor Swift even sang her praises on Instagram, calling Kravitz “the Catwoman of my dreams.”
However, Kravitz’s presence was not always welcome in the DC universe.
In a recent interview, the actress revealed that she was once turned down for an audition for 2012’s The Dark Knight Rises for being ‘too urban’.
Kravitz said: “I don’t know if [the description] came directly from Chris Nolan. I think it was probably a casting director of some kind or a casting director’s assistant.”
Though she did not specify the exact role that she was trying out for, Kravitz shared that this is a common incident that she has endured throughout her career.
“Being a woman of colour and being an actor and being told at that time that I wasn’t able to read because of the colour of my skin, and the word urban being thrown around like that, that was what was really hard about that moment,“ the 33-year-old said.
Regardless, her parents – actress mother Lisa Bonet and rocker dad Lenny Kravitz – had always helped her navigate the industry and encouraged her to celebrate her individuality.
“They both dealt with being artistes who didn’t act or dress or look or sound the way a Black person was supposed to act in terms of what white people specifically were comfortable with.”
She added that her parents instead “focused on trying to make sure I understood that despite the colour of my skin I should be able to act or dress or do whatever it is I want to do.”
And though it took her a while to realise this, Kravitz now is more comfortable being her authentic self despite the rejections and assumptions.