Zoë Kravitz Reveals She Felt ‘Uncomfortable’ Dealing With ‘Weird Racist People’ While Working on ‘Big Little Lies’
Zoë Kravitz opened up about Big Little Lies and revealed that she experienced racism while working on the popular HBO series. Here’s what Kravitz said made her “uncomfortable” while filming with the show’s star-studded cast.
Zoë Kravitz had connections with some of her ‘Big Little Lies’ castmates
Actor and musician Zoë Kravitz starred as Bonnie Carlson on Big Little Lies, an HBO series based on the Liane Moriarty book by the same name. The cast was praised for their excellent chemistry, which could be due to the fact that many of the stars knew each other before filming started.
Kravitz previously worked with Shailene Woodley on the Divergent movies. And she also had an interesting connection with Nicole Kidman. The two stars knew each other when Kravitz was just a teenager because Kidman dated her father, musician Lenny Kravitz.
In an interview with The Edit, Zoë opened up about her relationship with Kidman. “I hadn’t seen her in a long time before Big Little Lies, but there was a point where we were all kind of living together,” she revealed. “I was about 13, and she would take me to see movies; she was so nice to me.”
Zoë Kravitz said she experienced racism while working on ‘Big Little Lies’
Although Zoë Kravitz had some strong connections with her co-stars, her experience filming Big Little Lies wasn’t entirely comfortable.
In a March 2022 interview with The Guardian, Kravitz opened up about playing Bonnie, a part which she shared was “originally written for a white person.” She also said she experienced racism while filming in Monterey, California.
“There were a few moments where I felt a little uncomfortable,” Kravitz shared. “Because it is such a white area.” When pressed for details, she elaborated, “Just weird racist people in bars and things like that.”
The ‘Batman’ star has been candid about her racial identity in the past
Zoë Kravitz has spoken about her racial identity several times in interviews and on social media. In a May 2017 interview with Allure, Kravitz shared that she felt more connected to her roots and history as she got older.
“I am definitely mixed. Both my parents are mixed. I have white family on both sides,” the actor explained. “The older I get, the more I experience life, I am identifying more and more with being Black, and what that means – being more and more proud of that and feeling connected to my roots and my history.”
Kravitz described her experience as a biracial child in predominantly white classrooms. “It’s been a really interesting journey because I was always one of the only Black kids in any of my schools,” she said. “I went to private schools full of white kids. I think a lot of that made me want to blend in or not be looked at as Black. The white kids are always talking about your hair and making you feel weird.”
The Batman star said that now she loves her culture and is “so proud to be Black.” “I had this struggle of accepting myself as Black and loving that part of myself,” Kravitz said. “And now I’m so in love with my culture and so proud to be Black.”
