Zoë Kravitz returns to our screens this week, as Catwoman (AKA Selina Kyle) in Matt Reeves's The Batman, alongside Robert Pattinson as the caped crusader. After earning critical acclaim for her role in HBO's Big Little Lies alongside Oscar-winners Reese Witherspoon, Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman and Laura Dern – as well as starring in, exec-producing and co-writing 2020's High Fidelity and preparing to shoot her directorial debut Pussy Island this summer – you'd think Zoë would be blissfully unfazed by this whole ‘fame’ thing. Besides, when your parents are Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet, it's just part of the territory, right?
Wrong. “Stepping into this role was really, really scary,” Zoë tells me. “It's still wild. It's one of those things that I never even considered could happen. Even getting the call to meet with Matt [Reeves, the director] and audition; that was surreal by itself. I think it's something I'm still kind of going through. And it's rare to be a part of a film where the making of the film is just as intense as coming out of the of the film. So I'm still kind of in disbelief.”
WATCH: Zoë Kravitz on managing her mental health, working with Robert Pattinson, and the power in womanhood.
Zoë needn't have been scared. She's magnetic as the latest interpretation of Selina; with nods to the character's bisexuality – written in the original comics but often ignored on the silver screen – and refreshingly fleshed-out as a female character in a typically male-oriented environment. We get to see much more of Selina's backstory and emotional development. She's not just Batman's femme fatale; she's Gotham's leading woman.
“Women are often accessories to men in film and storytelling,” Zoe says, “and so it's hard to just find a space where it's welcomed and encouraged, especially in a film like this. It's so masculine. It's really exciting to have a true three-dimensional female character in a male-dominated film franchise.”
Here, in the latest episode of GLAMOUR Unfiltered, Zoë opens up about how she manages her mental health – which, she shares, she's struggled with in the past – tokenism and representation in film, and the power of being true to yourself…
Do you believe part of Catwoman's power lies in her womanhood?
I do. It was something I was really, really focused on and interested in: How do I allow her to be vulnerable and powerful at the same time? Which is, oddly, a combination of things that we don't really see a lot. I feel like oftentimes, women specifically get pigeonholed into one thing – if she's tough and angry, then she can't be soft – and you have to kind of choose a side. And, you know, women are so complicated, and it was really beautiful to be encouraged to explore all of those different parts of Selena at one time.
As a woman, do you feel you have been put into boxes in the past?
I don't know how to play a one-dimensional character, I hope. But I do think that oftentimes, those roles simply aren't written at all, and women are often accessories to men in film and storytelling. And so it's hard to just find this space where it's welcomed and encouraged, especially in a film like this. It's so masculine. It's really exciting to have a true three-dimensional female character in a male-dominated film franchise.
When do you feel most empowered?
Whenever I overcome something that scares me. Ever day, there's some moment that's like: 'Oh, this is scary. Can I do this? I'm nervous'. And I think that's why we love watching films about adventure, right? It's like this idea of overcoming something and stepping into this role was really scary. And now that I've done that, I'm really proud and, I feel powerful for doing it and taking the challenge.
How do you manage your mental health?
Everyone has their own journey. I've struggled myself with eating disorders and pressure to look a certain way. Now, I've found a really wonderful balance in terms of putting my mental health and my body first. I can't perform if I don't have fuel, and if I don't feel well.
How did you manage your mental health while filming?
It was a really intense time. On top of playing a role that has a lot of pressure around it, and a very emotional story, we also shot this film during Covid. You know, it was just heavy for everybody, we had to go through a lot. I tried to be as healthy as I could, in terms of the physicality of it, and wanting to be in shape and wanting to feel good, but also wanting to, you know, make sure I was being healthy. And it's hard to find that balance, sometimes just a lot of pressure.
What message would Selina give to younger women?
Something I really learned from the character is the idea of deserving to take up space. Something I found so powerful about Selina, and really tried to incorporate into the way that she speaks and the way that she moves, is her taking her time, and really not trying to be anything smaller than she is, or trying to round her edges for anybody else. She's living life to the fullest and allowing herself to be all the things that she is. That's something that I think young Zoë had, because when we're young, we're not so jaded. And it's something that this kind of reminded me of.
What was it like working with Robert Pattinson?
It's great. He's such a wonderful actor and a really kind person, and really loves what he does. He has such an interesting mind and is really interested in the psychology of the characters that he plays, and to watch him completely transform into this character… It's hard sometimes when you know someone pretty well to forget who they really are. He would put on the suit and I would really forget that it was Rob. And I think that was a really impressive thing to do. And he had so many limitations in terms of his movement – half his face is covered! – and he was really able to bring so much humanity and emotion with all those limitations. And that was something I was really, really impressed by.
How far do you think we've come in terms of representation on screen?
I think right now we're in a place where it's great that the conversations are happening and that people have been made aware. But I think it also can often feel like we're checking boxes, and that doesn't feel good, either. When it's like, ‘Okay, we have a female character, and a Black character. and a gay character’ – it feels like ‘we just have to make sure that no one gets mad at us’. That's also not the point of storytelling. So I think we're still in a very awkward transition.
What have been your turning points in finding your power?
I think it comes back to choosing your truth and choosing your authenticity over the pressures of the world. It's normal to kind of experiment and go off your path and try to look like someone else, try to act like someone else, and try to fit into a box that you don't fit into. There's always these moments in life where you have to choose: Do I go back to me, or do I transform into something else because I think the world wants me to be something else? I think that's the journey that we're all on as women.
The Batman starring Zoë Kravitz and Robert Pattinson is in UK cinemas 4th March 2022.
