Zoë Kravitz

Zoë Kravitz (born December 1, 1988) is an American actress and filmmaker. She made her acting debut in the romantic comedy film '' No Reservations'' (2007). Her breakthrough came with portraying Angel Salvadore (Tempest) in the superhero film '' X-Men: First Class'' (2011), and she had further franchise roles in ''The Divergent Series'' (2014–2016) and the ''Fantastic Beasts'' film series (2016–2018).

Kravitz earned praise for her lead roles in the HBO drama series '' Big Little Lies'' (2017–2019) and the Hulu romantic comedy series ''High Fidelity'' (2020). She appeared in George Miller's '' Mad Max: Fury Road'' (2015), and has starred in numerous independent films including '' Dope'' (2015), '' Gemini'' (2017), and '' Kimi'' (2022). She voiced Catwoman in ''The Lego Batman Movie'' (2017) and Mary Jane in '' Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse'' (2018). She went on to portray the former in the live-action DC film '' The Batman'' (2022). ''Time'' named Kravitz one of the 100 Most Influential People in 2022. She expanded to filmmaking by co-writing and directing the thriller '' Blink Twice'' (2024).

In music, she is the frontwoman of the group Lolawolf, and has contributed to releases from artists such as Drake, Taylor Swift, Rae Sremmurd and Janelle Monáe.

Early life

Kravitz was born in Venice, Los Angeles at the home of her parents, musician Lenny Kravitz and actress Lisa Bonet. Both her parents are of half African-American and half-Ashkenazi Jewish descent. Her paternal grandmother, actress Roxie Roker (a first cousin once removed of television weather forecaster Al Roker), and her maternal grandfather, Allen Bonet, were African American, with some of her grandmother's family being from The Bahamas. Her paternal grandfather, NBC television news producer Sy Kravitz, and maternal grandmother, Arlene Litman, were both Ashkenazi Jews. Kravitz's paternal grandfather's family emigrated from Russia. Kravitz identifies as a secular Jew. The song "Flowers for Zoë", included on her father's second album '' Mama Said'', was written as a tribute to the two-year-old Zoë.Kravitz's parents married in 1987 and divorced six years later, in 1993, when Zoë was five years old. She lived with her mother in Topanga Canyon and then moved to Miami at age 11 to live with her father, spending summers with her mother. Kravitz has two half-siblings from her mother's second marriage to actor Jason Momoa. Her godfather is film producer Bruce Cohen, and her godmothers are actresses Marisa Tomei and Cree Summer.

Kravitz attended Miami Country Day School and Rudolf Steiner School in Manhattan graduating in 2007. Kravitz began studying that year at the acting conservatory under Scott McCrea at the State University of New York at Purchase where her peers included Micah Stock and Jason Ralph. She left college after a year and moved to Brooklyn, New York to work in films. She struggled with anorexia and bulimia throughout high school, until around age 24.

Career

Early work and breakthrough (2008–2012)

In Topanga Canyon, Zoë joined local drama clubs and staged shows at her grandmother's house, usually reenacting "Somewhere Over the Rainbow". Her mother encouraged her to watch film favorites from her own childhood.

Kravitz landed her first film role in high school, playing a babysitter hired by Catherine Zeta-Jones's character in the 2007 romantic comedy '' No Reservations''. 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 sang in will.i.am's music video for "We Are the Ones" in support of US presidential candidate Barack Obama. That year, she also appeared in the family drama '' Birds of America'' and neo-noir comedy ''Assassination of a High School President''. She began making music at the age of 16. In 2009, she formed and fronted the New York/Philadelphia-based band Elevator Fight. 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. Kravitz said in 2011 that her music is a hobby. She also performed with the cabaret troupe The Citizens Band.

In 2009, Kravitz co-starred in the independent ensemble drama '' The Greatest'', in which her character is addicted to grief counseling groups, and was hired to be the lead spokesperson for Vera Wang's ''Princess'' fragrance. In 2010, she appeared in '' It's Kind of a Funny Story'' and appeared in '' Twelve''. Kravitz next starred in the romantic comedy '' Beware the Gonzo'' as the female lead and love interest of Ezra Miller. Kravitz was featured in a campaign for fashion designer Alexander Wang in 2010.

In 2011, Kravitz appeared in the coming-of-age film '' Yelling to the Sky''. 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. That year, she also portrayed the comic book character Angel Salvadore in '' X-Men: First Class''. Kravitz filmed her scenes in London and performed wire work for her role, to simulate her character's ability to fly. In late 2011, Kravitz completed work on a film with the working title ''Treading Water'', which was released in 2013 as ''The Boy Who Smells Like Fish''. That year, she represented Vera Wang's new ''Preppy Princess'' fragrance.

Rise to prominence and expansion (2013–present)

In 2013, she co-starred in ''After Earth''. 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. In 2014, she portrayed the character Christina in '' Divergent''. 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''. Kravitz started the band Lolawolf while in Los Angeles filming ''The Road Within''. Made up of members from the band Reputante, Lolawolf released an eponymous EP and debuted at the Mercury Lounge in November 2013. The band was named after Kravitz's younger siblings, Lola and Nakoa-Wolf. They released their debut album, ''Calm Down'', on October 21, 2014, and supported Lily Allen, Miley Cyrus, and Warpaint on tour in 2014. The band released the five-track EP, ''Every Fuckin Day'', on June 23, 2015.

Kravitz appeared in 2014's '' Good Kill''. In 2015, she appeared in the comedy-drama '' Dope'' and in '' Mad Max: Fury Road''. In 2016, she co-starred in the action thriller '' Vincent N Roxxy'' and appeared in the independent film ''Adam Green's Aladdin''. Kravitz also had a role in the ''Harry Potter'' spin-off '' Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them'' as Leta Lestrange. In 2017, Kravitz starred in the mystery thriller '' Gemini''. In the same year, she appeared in the comedy film '' Rough Night'' and the animated superhero film ''The Lego Batman Movie'', in which she voiced the comic book character Selina Kyle / Catwoman. She also became the face of Brooklyn-based designer Alexis Bittar's jewelry line in 2015.

From 2017 to 2019, Kravitz starred in the HBO drama series '' Big Little Lies'', in which she portrays Bonnie Carlson. For her performance, she earned two Black Reel Award nominations as well as a nomination for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Drama Series. 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. Also in 2018, she appeared on BBC Children in Need with Eddie Redmayne, setting up Alex Jones from ''The One Show,'' with the help of children who fed them the answers to the interview questions. Kravitz was ranked one of the best dressed women in 2018 by fashion website Net-a-Porter. In the same year, Kravitz was featured on the song "Screwed" on Janelle Monáe's album '' Dirty Computer''. She was also featured on "Anti-Social Smokers Club" on Rae Sremmurd's third album '' SR3MM''.

In 2019, Kravitz was cast as the lead in the Hulu romantic comedy television series ''High Fidelity'', based on the 2000 film of the same name in which her mother stars. The series premiered on Valentine's Day, 2020 to critical acclaim with Kravitz's performance as Rob Gorgan receiving praise. Margaret Lyons of ''The New York Times'' described her performance as "mesmerizing", adding "She's so good, in fact, that it's almost impossible to believe she can't find someone to love her exactly as-is." Alison Herman of ''The Ringer'' called Kravitz a "bona-fide leading lady". Despite the critical success, ''High Fidelity'' was cancelled after one season. For her role in the series, Kravitz won a Black Reel Award and was nominated for a Satellite Award. Also in 2020, she starred as one of the leads in '' Viena and the Fantomes''.

Kravitz portrayed Selina Kyle / Catwoman, now in live action, in director Matt Reeves' '' The Batman'', which was released on March 4, 2022, to critical and commercial success, grossing over $700 million internationally. Kravitz's performance received positive reviews. ''The Independent'' wrote that "Kravitz's Catwoman brings an almost-extinct sensuality to the role", and in Christy Lemire's review of the film—written for '' RogerEbert.com''—she stated that "This is no flirty, purring Catwoman: She's a fighter and a survivor with a loyal heart and a strong sense of what's right. ... Kravitz continues to reveal a fierce charisma and quiet strength." She earned several award nominations for her performance, including the Saturn Award for Best Actress. Kravitz starred in filmmaker Steven Soderbergh's thriller '' Kimi'', which was released to generally positive reviews with her performance receiving praise.

In June 2021, Kravitz announced that she would make her directorial debut in '' Blink Twice'', a film she also co-wrote. In August 2021, it was announced that Kravitz will star and serve as an executive producer on coming-of-age animated series ''Phatty Patty'', bankrolled by Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith's Westbrook Studios. In June 2022, it was announced that Kravitz will star in and produce the Heist film, heist Thriller film, thriller ''The Sundance Kid Might Have Some Regrets'' for Warner Bros.

In May 2025, she collaborated with the champagne brand Dom Pérignon for a campaign named "Creation is an Eternal Journey".

Personal life

Kravitz lives in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

She briefly dated Ezra Miller during filming on '' Beware the Gonzo'', and was in a relationship with actor Penn Badgley from 2011 to 2013.

In 2016, Kravitz began a relationship with actor Karl Glusman. They became engaged in February 2018, and were married at Kravitz's father's home in Paris on June 29, 2019. In December 2020, Kravitz filed for divorce, which was finalized in August 2021. She started dating actor Channing Tatum in 2021, before announcing their engagement in 2023. In October 2024, it was reported that they had split up.

Filmography

Film

Television

Music videos

Discography

Awards and nominations

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kravitz, Zoe
1988 births
Living people
21st-century African-American actresses
21st-century American actresses
Actresses from Brooklyn
Actresses from Los Angeles
African-American female models
African-American film directors
African-American Jews
African-American women musicians
American film actresses
American people of Bahamian descent
American people of Russian-Jewish descent
American secular Jews
American television actresses
American voice actresses
American women film directors
American women in electronic music
Jewish American actresses
Jewish American film people
Jewish American musicians
Jewish female models
Miami Country Day School alumni
People from Williamsburg, Brooklyn
State University of New York at Purchase alumni