‘Big Little Lies’ Star Zoë Kravitz Revealed She Developed An Eating Disorder in Her Teen Years

Rising star Zoë Kravitz is quite busy these days. Closing out the second season of HBO’s hit Big Little Lies and now starring in and executive producing Hulu’s upcoming series High Fidelity, not to mention playing opposite Robert Pattinson in the 2021 film The Batman, Kravitz is solidifying herself as one of today’s hottest actresses.

As the daughter of former A-list Hollywood couple Lisa Bonet and Lenny Kravitz, the Hulu star revealed that growing up with famous parents can have its challenges.

Flipping ‘Fidelity’

Kravitz’ upcoming show High Fidelity is taken from the beloved Nick Hornby book, which was made into a 2000 film starring John Cusack and Jack Black. Gender-flipping the lead role, Kravitz plays Rob in the 10-part series, who has a penchant for subbing her opinions and feelings for a series of top-five lists. After a breakup, Rob makes a top-five of her relationships.

“We, of course, had to modernize the world,” Kravitz told Entertainment Weekly of the revised version. “Now we are dealing with people who are not only obsessed with pop culture, but also nostalgia. Surprisingly, I don’t think the character has changed much. Of course, it’s my own interpretation, but the heart of the character is very much the same. Changing the character from male to female did not change the kind of person we are dealing with.”

The actress revealed she felt a kinship with the character. “The part of Rob is the closest thing to me I have ever played,” Kravitz told Elle in a recent interview. “I know Rob so well. I, too, found being a teenager and young adult hard to navigate, and music was a refuge for me, somewhere to hide. I made playlists and would lie on the floor of my room listening to Jeff Buckley, learning the lyrics to songs that were the emotional soundtrack of my life.”

The author who created the story is a true Kravitz fan, cheering her on in taking the role. “When I first met her, I could see how bright she was, and how well she knew the book and the film—and how much it resonated with her, along with her innate love and understanding of music,” Hornby said. “I immediately wanted to do anything I could to help her.”

Pressures of the limelight

After Kravitz’ parents parted ways when she was just two years old, she first lived with Bonet but then moved to Miami with her dad when she was 11. She shared the pressures of being immersed in the world of fame and glamour.

“I didn’t like my new school. I didn’t feel like I fit in anywhere, and I was surrounded by an enormous amount of beauty and posturing,” Kravitz revealed. “I was a chunky, perfectly normal-looking 15-year-old, but I had this remarkably beautiful skinny mother and a father who was dating a supermodel, and I felt short and ungainly.”

Ironically, during her teenage years, Kravitz’ future Big Little Lies co-star Nicole Kidman was secretly engaged to her father. “I was a grumpy teenager with her,” Kravitz recalled.

Clearly, that is water under the bridge, where Kidman recently shared her affection for Kravitz. “I feel protective, like a big sister, toward her,” Kidman said of Kravitz. “She is carving her own path with confidence and grace.”

Battling bulimia

Kravitz revealed that she developed an eating disorder as a teenager, which she battled for almost a decade. She began therapy for bulimia after moving to New York, which helped her navigate her way back to health. “I’m OK now,” she told Elle. “But I am very vigilant. It’s a disease, and I never let myself forget that.”

The High Fidelity actress is currently thriving both professionally and personally, recently tying the knot in June to her longtime love Karl Glusman. “Karl has his own career and needs to focus on that, but we’ve been together for a few years now, and we know where we are,” Kravitz shared. “If anything, the best part of being married is being able to have the odd fight and knowing neither of us is going to walk out the door. The commitment feels safe.”

High Fidelity is scheduled for release on February 14.