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Zoë Kravitz Says She Was Told She Was Too 'Urban' To Play Catwoman In 'The Dark Knight Rises'
The Batman, though it originally raised eyebrows when first released, has been returning rave reviews at the box office. The reboot of the popular superhero film series starring Robert Pattinson and Zoë Kravitz pleasantly surprised viewers and critics alike.
Kravitz, who plays legendary character Selina Kyle/Catwoman, revealed she also tried to audition for Christopher Nolan's adaptation of the series, but was met with a shocking response.
Zo\u00eb Kravitz Opens Up on Losing \u2018Dark Knight Rises\u2019 Audition Because of Her Skin\u00a0Colorhttps://variety.com/2022/film/news/zoe-kravitz-rejected-dark-knight-rises-skin-color-1235197795/\u00a0\u2026— Variety (@Variety) 1646669402
Kravitz was not allowed to audition for the part because she was "too urban," according to the feedback she received.
“I don’t know if it came directly from Chris Nolan,” she said.
“I think it was probably a casting director of some kind, or a casting director’s assistant."
The fact that Zo\u00eb Kravitz was told she couldn\u2019t play Catwoman in the Nolanverse because she was \u201curban\u201d and now she is definitely the definitive live action Catwoman for the modern age. Love it. That\u2019s TRUE JUSTICE,— Rachel Leah (@Rachel Leah) 1646426002
Zoe kravitz is lightskinned as hell with yt grandparents on both sides and they considered her to be \u201ctoo urban\u201d \n\nI know the industry is HELL for Black women who don\u2019t look ambiguous.— caliphornia QING (@caliphornia QING) 1646676246
Imagine being the person that told Zo\u00eb Kravitz you\u2019re too \u201curban\u201d to audition. IMAGINE.https://twitter.com/popcrave/status/1500804480576729089\u00a0\u2026— reii (@reii) 1646676920
Zo\u00eb Kravitz and urban don\u2019t even go together. https://twitter.com/variety/status/1500875170835275784\u00a0\u2026pic.twitter.com/1ryp1SSlKR— \u2728 Ed\ud83e\udd26\ud83c\udffd\u200d\u2642\ufe0f \u2728 (@\u2728 Ed\ud83e\udd26\ud83c\udffd\u200d\u2642\ufe0f \u2728) 1646672107
Kravitz said she was able to turn to her mother, Lisa Bonet, and father, Lenny Kravitz, for advice on how to handle the industry's shortcomings.
"They both dealt with being artists 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," Kravitz she said.
"[They] focused on trying to make sure I understood that despite the color of my skin I should be able to act or dress or do whatever it is I want to do.”
\u201cUrban\u201d is a racist euphemism for black..so plainly put, casting directors told Zoe Kravitz she was too black. THAT is racist and highly insulting— Edie Valdez (@Edie Valdez) 1646676861
some of y\u2019all are so painfully bad when it comes to writing poc that a black person can walk into a room and be rejected because \u201coh sorry hun this movie doesn\u2019t take place in the ghetto\u201d as if black people don\u2019t Just Exist. u don\u2019t need a complex diversity plot to include poc.https://twitter.com/variety/status/1500866373928603653\u00a0\u2026— asha "where do we go from here" swann (@asha "where do we go from here" swann) 1646678711
Oh man, that\u2019s a shame. Glad she finally got to play the role with a crew that wasn\u2019t biased against her https://twitter.com/variety/status/1500866373928603653\u00a0\u2026— Elden Lord Neo (@Elden Lord Neo) 1646678598
Really weird how being black was a disqualifier for a character who had been portrayed by black women more than once. https://twitter.com/Variety/status/1500866373928603653\u00a0\u2026pic.twitter.com/GQ3JZDkHWZ— Kaelan Ramos (@Kaelan Ramos) 1646675775
Kravitz also said for a long time she gravitated toward roles that weren't written for Black women originally because of Hollywood's treatment of the scripts.
"At one point, all the scripts that were being sent were about the first Black woman to make a muffin or something...Even though those stories are important to tell, I also want to open things up for myself as an artist.”
I just...Catwoman being black isn't even a new thinghttps://twitter.com/Variety/status/1500866373928603653\u00a0\u2026— Ostrich (Taylor's Version) (@Ostrich (Taylor's Version)) 1646675580
Blessing in disguise since she was in the better Batman movie anywayshttps://twitter.com/variety/status/1500866373928603653\u00a0\u2026— J (@J) 1646675198
She got to be a better Catwoman in a much, much better moviehttps://twitter.com/variety/status/1500866373928603653\u00a0\u2026— Rider Saw The Batman (@Rider Saw The Batman) 1646674761
Not even remotely surprised given he whitewashed Bane and the Al Ghul\u2019shttps://twitter.com/variety/status/1500866373928603653\u00a0\u2026— Dr.Awesome (@Dr.Awesome) 1646679205
Kravitz is the third Black woman to portray Selina Kyle/Catwoman, after Eartha Kitt In the original Adam West television series and Halle Berry in the much-maligned early 00's portrayal of Kyle's origin story.
The Batman is playing in theaters across the nation. The film currently holds an 85% "fresh" rating from Rotten Tomatoes.