Zoe Kravitz

Zoë Isabella Kravitz (born December 1, 1988)[1] is an American actress, singer, and model. She is the daughter of musician Lenny Kravitz and actress Lisa Bonet. Kravitz made her acting debut in the 2007 film No Reservations.

Her breakthrough role came as Angel Salvadore in the 2011 superhero film X-Men: First Class, which was followed by roles in The Divergent Series and Mad Max: Fury Road. Since then, Kravitz has had a supporting role in the Harry Potter spin-off film Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and its sequel, has portrayed Selina Kyle / Catwoman in The Lego Batman Movie, a role she will reprise in live action in The Batman, as well as starring roles in independent films, like Dope and Adam Green's Aladdin. Since 2017, Kravitz has co-starred in the HBO ensemble drama series Big Little Lies.

In addition to acting, Kravitz has worked as a model and musician. She was the face of Vera Wang's Princess fragrance in 2009, and has modeled for Venus Zine and Elle. She fronts the band Lolawolf, and released the album Calm Down in 2014. The band has opened for Lily Allen and Miley Cyrus and played a number of music festivals.

Early life

Kravitz was born in Venice, Los Angeles, California, at the home of her parents, actress Lisa Bonet and musician Lenny Kravitz.[2] Both of her parents are of half Black and half Jewish descent.[3][4] Her paternal grandmother, actress Roxie Roker (a first cousin once removed of television weather forecaster Al Roker), and her maternal grandfather, Allen Bonet, were black, with some of her grandmother's family being from the Bahamas.[5] Her paternal grandfather, NBC television news producer Sy Kravitz, and maternal grandmother, Arlene Litman, were both Jewish.[6][7][8][9] Zoë identifies as a secular Jew.[10]

Kravitz's parents married in 1987 and divorced six years later, in 1993, when she was five.[11] She lived with her mother in Topanga Canyon, and then moved to Miami at age eleven to live with her father, spending summers with her mother.[12][13] Kravitz has a younger half-sister, Lola Iolani Momoa, and half-brother, Nakoa-Wolf Manakauapo Namakaeha Momoa,[14] from her mother's remarriage to actor Jason Momoa.[15] Her godfather is movie producer Bruce Cohen, and her godmothers are actresses Marisa Tomei and Cree Summer.[16][17][18]

Kravitz attended Miami Country Day School and then Rudolf Steiner School in Manhattan, New York, where she graduated in 2007.[19] Kravitz began studying that year at the acting conservatory at the State University of New York at Purchase.[20] She left college after a year and moved to Brooklyn, New York to work in films.[21] She struggled with anorexia and bulimia throughout high school, until around age 24.[12]

Acting career

2007–2010: Career beginnings

Kravitz landed her first film role while in high school, playing a babysitter hired by Catherine Zeta-Jones' character in the 2007 romantic comedy No Reservations.[22] That same year she also appeared in the action thriller The Brave One. In 2008, Kravitz appeared in the music video for Jay Z's "I Know", and was featured singing in will.i.am's music video for "We Are the Ones", in support of US presidential candidate Barack Obama.[23] That same year she also appeared in the family drama Birds of America and neo noir comedy Assassination of a High School President.[24]

In 2009, Kravitz co-starred in the independent ensemble drama The Greatest, in which her character is addicted to grief counseling groups.[25][26] In 2010, she appeared in It's Kind of a Funny Story.[27] Also that year, Kravitz appeared in Twelve.[28] Kravitz next starred in the romantic comedy Beware the Gonzo, in which she portrays a high school sex columnist.[29][30][31]

2011–present: Mainstream success

In 2011, Kravitz appeared in the coming-of-age film Yelling to the Sky.[32][33] She also appeared in eight episodes of the Showtime television series Californication, in which she portrayed Pearl, the vocalist of the all-female band Queens of Dogtown.[34] That same year she portrayed the comic book character Angel Salvadore in X-Men: First Class.[35] Kravitz filmed her scenes in London and performed wire work for her role, to simulate her character's ability to fly.[13] In late 2011, Kravitz completed work on a film with the working title Treading Water,[36] which was eventually released in 2013, renamed The Boy Who Smells Like Fish.

In 2013, she co-starred in After Earth.[37] In 2014, she portrayed the character Christina in Divergent.[38] Kravitz reprised her role in the sequels Insurgent and Allegiant. Also in 2014, she starred in the independent drama The Road Within and the romantic comedy Pretend We're Kissing.[39][40] She also appeared in the drama Good Kill.[41]

In 2015, Kravitz appeared in the comedy-drama Dope and in Mad Max: Fury Road.[42] In 2016, she co-starred in the action thriller Vincent N Roxxy and appeared in the independent film Adam Green's Aladdin.[43][44] Kravitz also had a cameo in the Harry Potter spin-off Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them as Leta Lestrange.[45] In 2017, Kravitz starred in the mystery thriller Gemini.[46] She also appeared in the comedy Rough Night and The Lego Batman Movie, in which she voiced the comic book character Catwoman.[47] Since 2017, Kravitz has starred in the HBO series Big Little Lies, in which she portrays Bonnie Carlson.[48] Kravitz appeared in the 2018 science fiction action film Kin, and reprised her role as Leta Lestrange in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald in a larger capacity.[49][45]

In 2018, she appeared on BBC Children in Need with Eddie Redmayne setting up Alex Jones from BBC1's The One Show with the help of 3 children feeding the answers to the interview questions.[50]

Future roles

Kravitz is also set to star as one of the leads in Viena and the Fantomes, and in Black Belle as a gunslinger in the American Old West.[51][52] Kravitz will once again portray Selina Kyle / Catwoman in director Matt Reeves' The Batman, which is scheduled for release on June 25, 2021.[53]

Other ventures

Modeling and fashion

Kravitz has modeled in fashion magazines such as French Jalouse, Venus Zine and Elle. She was named the face of Vera Wang's Princess fragrance in 2009, appearing on the website and in advertisements for the brand.[54] Kravitz starred in a campaign for fashion designer Alexander Wang in 2010,[55] and represented Vera Wang's new Preppy Princess fragrance in 2011.[56] In 2013, Kravitz released a jewelry line in collaboration with the Swarovski crystal company. She used ethnic and vintage jewelry, and her birthstone, Turquoise, as inspiration for her designs.[57] She became the face of Brooklyn-based designer Alexis Bittar's jewelry line in 2015.[58]

Kravitz was ranked one of the best dressed women in 2018 by fashion website Net-a-Porter. [59]

Music

Kravitz began making music at the age of 16.[60] She fronted the New York/Philadelphia-based band Elevator Fight, which she formed in 2009.[19] The band performed at the South by Southwest music festival and on the main stage of the Roots Picnic in Philadelphia in June 2009, along with The Roots, TV On The Radio, and The Black Keys. She stated in 2011 that her music is a hobby.[13] She also performed with the cabaret troupe The Citizens Band.[60]

Kravitz started the band Lolawolf while in Los Angeles filming The Road Within. Made up of members of the band Reputante, Lolawolf released an eponymous EP and debuted at the Mercury Lounge in November 2013.[16] The band was named after Kravitz' younger siblings, Lola and Nakoa-Wolf.[60] They released their debut album, Calm Down, on October 21, 2014,[61] and supported Lily Allen, Miley Cyrus, and Warpaint on tour in 2014.[62] The band released the five-track EP, Every Fuckin Day, on June 23, 2015.[63]

In 2018, Kravitz was featured on the song "Screwed" on Janelle Monáe's album Dirty Computer.[64] She was also featured on "Anti-Social Smokers Club" on Rae Sremmurd's third album SR3MM.[65]

Personal life

Kravitz lives in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.[66][67] The song "Flowers for Zoë," included on her father's second album Mama Said, was written as a tribute to then-two-year-old Zoë.[68]

In 2010, Kravitz dated fellow actor Ezra Miller while they were filming Beware the Gonzo.[69]

In 2016, Kravitz began a relationship with actor Karl Glusman.[70] Kravitz revealed in an interview published in October 2018 that she had become engaged in February of that year.[71] The two were married at Kravitz's father's home in Paris, France on June 29, 2019