Zoë Kravitz is “grateful” that Channing Tatum entered her life.
The Batman actress talks about her directorial debut, Pussy Island, and the kismet casting of Tatum, whom she is now dating.
“Do I want to go into that?” Kravitz replied when asked by the Wall Street Journal about her current relationship, which began last summer. “I guess what I’ll say is when you make things with people it’s a very sacred space, and when you’re compatible with somebody creatively it often opens up other channels, because you’re kind of sharing all of yourself. I’m really grateful that this movie has brought him into my life that way.”
As for casting the Magic Mike and Dog star as a tech mogul who brings a cocktail waitress, played by Naomi Ackie, to his private island resulting in dark, dangerous debauchery, Kravitz felt Tatum — whom she hadn’t yet met — could pull it off.
“I wanted to find someone who hadn’t played a dark character before, because I think that’s exciting to watch someone who’s mostly played boy next door, good guy, love interest, all of that,” she said. “I felt, even from afar, before I knew him, that he was a feminist and that he wasn’t afraid of exploring that darkness, because he knows he’s not that. That’s why I was drawn to him and wanted to meet with him. And I was right.”
For his part, Tatum told he outlet he was excited to be pitched a role that was different than the usual characters he’s offered.
“It’s always really intriguing to have someone bring you something that literally no one else has ever thought of you for,” he said. “And really even allowed you to ask yourself why and can you play someone so different than what you have.”
He went on to praise Kravitz’s work on the film, which is expected out in 2023.
“I didn’t know Zoë before I met her for the film,” he said. “When we first met the movie was pretty different than its form now, but the themes were the same. All the iterations it has gone through were all pretty punk rock, to be honest.”
At another point in the conversation, Kravitz used the “L” word referring to Tatum. Talking about her style while in Mexico for the movie shoot this summer, she said, “I’m wearing a necklace that my mom, [Lisa Bonet], gave me and an earring that Channing gave me. I have a T-shirt from my dad, [Lenny Kravitz]. I’ve been wearing a lot of things that remind me of people who I love, because it’s comforting.”
Kravitz’s brief marriage with Karl Glusman ended in August 2021 — just before she was first snapped with Tatum in NYC. Meanwhile, the Dog actor/director had been divorced from Jenna Dewan since 2019, and ended an on-off relationship with Jessie J. in 2020.
Elsewhere in the interview, Kravitz expressed regret over a social media post she put up in the wake of Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the Academy Awards in March. It’s since been deleted but said, “Here’s a picture of my dress at the show where we are apparently assaulting people on stage now.” At the time, she was also asked by a commenter if she supported Smith defending wife Jada Pinkett Smith and Kravitz replied, “Nope.”
“I’m torn about what to say right now, because I’m supposed to just talk about it,” she said of the blowback. “I have very complicated feelings around it. I wish I had handled that differently. And that’s OK.”
Of the criticism, she said, “It’s a scary time to have an opinion or to say the wrong thing or to make controversial art or statements or thoughts or anything. It’s mostly scary because art is about conversation. That should, in my opinion, always be the point. The internet is the opposite of conversation. The internet is people putting things out and not taking anything in.”
She said the whole thing served to remind her “that I’m an artist. Being an artist is not about everybody loving you or everyone thinking you’re hot. It’s about expressing something that will hopefully spark a conversation or inspire people or make them feel seen. I think I’m in a place right now where I don’t want to express myself through a caption or a tweet. I want to express myself through art.”
In the interview, Kravitz also spoke out how she “didn’t feel beautiful growing up,” despite being the spitting image of her famous mother. “A big part of that was where I grew up” between California, Miami and New York — and “who I was around in terms of being the only Black girl. I wasn’t exotic and cool-looking. I was the weirdo with the fuzzy hair. Then, you grow up and you look different now.”
She added, “I think a lot of people probably will hear that and think that’s bullsh**, but that’s just how I feel. Even with directing, I think to myself, OK, I’m not going to be in a movie for a year. I hope we make another Batman. It’s just the sickness of the mind where I genuinely can convince myself that I won’t work again, that no one will call me and want me. That never goes away.”
