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.
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."
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.”
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.”
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.
