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Are you gonna go her way?

Her rocker dad and style-icon mom make her rock royalty, but actress Zoe Kravitz is ready to carve her own tracks

text_Alexandra Phanor photography_Heidi Hartwig

"My parents did a great job at keeping me down-to-earth and that's what I cherish about my childhood."

"You have people who only want to be your friend because of that, or you have those who say,'Oh, Zoe thinks she is so cool cause her dad is...'"

It may be a while until the official kick-off to summer, but you would have never guessed it on this sweltering 90 degree May afternoon in Soho, New York. Needless to say, the mugginess enveloping the city is not the ideal climate to run errands in--unless, of course, you're sitting pretty in a chauffeured, air-conditioned town car cruising from one location to the next. That's the mode of transportation you'd expect for 18-year-old actress Zoe Kravitz, but as she rushes her way into Starbucks, it's obvious the daughter of rocker Lenny Kravitz and actress Lisa Bonet is getting around on foot, and like the slew of patrons inside, she too could use some refuge from the sun.

The diminutive, arresting beauty is gripping the pedestrian summer cocktail, a large bottle of water, tightly under her arm. She's wearing comfortable red flats. "I try to wear heels casually, but I always end up switching to my flats," she says. Zoe is sporting her long, dark mane of extensions in a low, disheveled ponytail with a vintage wife beater worn as a short dress. The look is every bit the understated cool, downtown approach to fashion one expects from a young New Yorker with equally stylish, bohemian parents.

"I'm running around like a crazy person today," she lets out dropping herself into a heavy wooden chair while removing her sunglasses. Indeed, it's been a crazy couple of weeks for Zoe and catching up with her for this interview proved almost impossible. "I'm so sorry about all the changes in scheduling this, I had to wrap up some last minute school stuff so I don't fail," she explains. It's her last week of high school and Zoe just came from dropping off her very last paper. She has a senior school trip to Santa Fe in two days and graduation in two weeks to look forward to before embarking on a new chapter in her life. "You have no idea how excited I am about graduation," she shrieks through a kool-aid smile that only gets brighter and more infectious as the interview progresses. "Twelve years is a long time, and I am so happy, ready and open to experience what's next"

Impending is fulfilling a life-long dream of working

as an actress. Zoe has an array of small roles in upcoming feature films starting with No Reservations alongside Catherine Zeta-Jones."I play a scary Goth girl named Charlotte who babysits for Catherine. It was fun to be made up into somebody else," she says.

In The Brave One Zoe plays Chloe, a young prostitute who befriends a woman named Erica, played by Jodie Foster. "I got to work with Jodie Foster, which was amazing. I've been obsessed with her--not in a creepy way--since I was little. Everytime we did a take [on set] I would check if it was okay. [Jodie] would tell me to let go and just do it. She taught me to be comfortable on set." Zoe is currently shooting Laws of Motion , an indie take on a dysfunctional family, alongside Mathew Perry and Ben Foster. "It's not about the size of the roles, it's about finding things that challenge and intrigue you. If these small roles will allow me to do that then I'm grateful," she says.

While acclimating herself to a movie set took some time, turning it on for the camera was elementary. Zoe has always wanted to be in front of the camera entertaining an audience, she says. Along with her cousin, she would perform music videos, skits, scenes from the Wizard of Oz and Grease for her family and friends. "We would make tickets and people had to pay to watch us," she recalls fondly. "We were serious. No ticket, no show."

Zoe's passion for acting is undoubtedly in her blood. Her mother, Lisa Bonet, the coolest girl on television in the 80s and 90s, starred as Denise Huxtable on The Cosby Show , A Different World and a handful of movies, while her late grandmother Roxie Roker, Lenny Kravitz's mother, was half of one of television's first interracial couples on The Jeffersons . "Growing up around actors as a kid you want to imitate what the adults are doing, she says. "But as I got older it was clear to me that I loved it and could do it for a living."

It's at the Waldorf School, where academics and arts are equally intertwined and classes are more exchanges of ideas than lectures, that Zoe would begin to develop as an actress, taking part in a myriad of school productions. "I liked that everyone shared a passion for being creative. My goals to be an actress did not make me stand out and I liked that," she points out. Neither did her pedigree. That's partly due to the way Zoe was raised. Her parents brought her up relatively normal despite the occasional fashion shows and world tours with her father. Zoe's group of close friends doesn't include other celebrity offsprings, and her closet isn't full of designer pieces either. "I don't like spending thousands on a T-shirt and I'm not really good with designer names," she says. Zoe can often be seen roaming the streets of New York shopping at flea markets or riding on the subway with her boyfriend. She's more concerned with her schoolwork and only worked on films during the summer break. She has a soft spot for the 70's and loves Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Led Zepplin, and she daydreams about being at Woodstock.

All told, Zoe's life, so far, would be too tame for splashy magazines headlines. For the first 11 years of her life, Zoe grew up light years away from Hollywood in the mountains of Topanga, California, with her mother. She subsequently moved to Miami and then New York--"I love the culture and movement here"--with her father. "My parents did a great job at keeping me down-to-earth and that's what I cherish about my childhood," she says. "They taught me to not judge, but love."

Although she may extend free love to those who cross her path, Zoe can't always say it's reciprocal. Her family name has garnered her some unwanted attention from her peers. "It's an easy diss when people don't want to like me and want to say that I'm a brat. You have people who only want to be your friend because of that, or you have those who say, 'Oh, Zoe thinks she is so cool cause her dad is...,'" she trails off.

Zoe never mentions that her parents are famous. In fact, she doesn't utter the "f" word during our conversation. She was in fifth grade when she discovered that her father was a star. Lenny Kravitz's huge hit, "Fly Away" was getting massive spins on the radio and she innocently asked her cousin if her dad sung the song. "At the end of the day they are parents

just like everyone else's," she says, shrugging her shoulders. "Everyone criticizes everyone else. I'm sure I do, and it's something I want to work on."

As she amasses larger roles Zoe's public image and failings will surely be magnified, so her laissez-faire attitude with regards to gossip columns should serve her well. She's already been put to the test. Recently, pictures of her drinking beer with friends found their way onto a number of gossip blogs. Zoe had naively posted the photos on her myspace page. "I was 17 in those pictures, and I'm sorry but find me a 17-year-old who has not had some beer," she says matter-of-factly.

The media's thirst to uncover the wild child in today's young celebrities had everyone commenting on her parents' lack of parenting skills. "That's what made me the most upset," she says. "I'm together. I'm not an alcoholic, I go to school, I'm not a crazy kid, and I don't do hard drugs. My dad wasn't mad, but he was like you can't put your **** out like that."

The incident is one of the reasons Zoe believes it's imperative that she be recognized in the press for her craft and not her social life or her family. To ensure she earns some respect, Zoe has opted to enroll in college instead of plunging head-first into a career. Similar to Natalie Portman, another actress she's fond of. Zoe will be attending the Acting Conservatory program at SUNY Purchase in New York in the fall.

"Others may be in a rush but that's their journey, "s eh explains. "I want to be taken seriously, and most importantly, I want to take myself seriously."

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Zoe Kravitz New Face of T by Alexander Wang

Alexander Wang has asked his friend (and rock and roll heir) Zoe Kravitz to star in the Fall ad campaign for T, his ultra-soft, ultra-cool basics line. The young actress is a fan of Wang’s designs and was escorted by the designer at this year’s Met Ball wearing a custom creation he did for the Gap (left). But don’t expect to see the campaign debut in any magazine: According to WWD, the ads, in which Kravitz models alongside Max Motto, will be revealed in old-fashioned poster form on the streets of New York City this Thursday.

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Zoë Isabella Kravitz (born December 1, 1988) is an American actress and singer. She has appeared in the films The Brave One (2007) with Jodie Foster, and No Reservations (2007) with Catherine Zeta-Jones. She is the daughter of musician Lenny Kravitz and actress Lisa Bonet.

Early lifeKravitz was born in Venice Beach, Los Angeles, California, at the canal-front home of her mother and father, Lisa Bonet, an actress, and Lenny Kravitz, a musician.[1] Her paternal grandmother, actress Roxie Roker, was a Black Bahamian American and a first cousin of Al Roker, and her maternal grandfather, Allen Bonet, is an African American. Kravitz's paternal grandfather, Sy Kravitz, and maternal grandmother, Arlene Litman, were both Jewish.[2] Her parents married in 1987, and divorced six years later, in 1993.[3]

Kravitz attended Miami Country Day School in Miami, Florida, and then Rudolf Steiner School in Manhattan, New York, where she graduated in 2007.[4] She began college that year, studying at the acting conservatory at SUNY Purchase.[5]

Career

Acting

Kravitz made her feature film debut in No Reservations in 2007, directed by Scott Hicks, appearing alongside Catherine Zeta Jones and Aaron Eckhart. She played a teenage prostitute that year in the action thriller The Brave One, directed by Neil Jordan, and starring Jodie Foster and Terrance Howard. Kravitz completed work on both films during her final year at high school.

She starred in Jay-Z's music video for the single "I Know" in 2008,[6] and was featured singing in will.i.am's music video, "We Are The Ones", in support of U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama. Kravitz appeared in the film Birds of America in 2008, a dramedy about a dysfunctional family starring Matthew Perry.[7] She co-starred in the independent drama The Greatest, alongside Pierce Brosnan, Carey Mulligan, Michael Shannon, and Aaron Johnson.[8] The film premiered at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. Kravitz played a character addicted to grief counseling groups, opposite Johnny Simmons.[9]

Kravitz finished the film Yelling to the Sky with Gabby Sidibe.[10] She joined the cast of It's Kind of a Funny Story, a coming-of-age film written and directed by Anna Boden with Ryan Fleck, adapted from the 2006 novel by Ned Vizzini.[11]

Kravitz appears in Twelve (2010), directed by Joel Schumacher, along with Chace Crawford, Emma Roberts, Kiefer Sutherland, and 50 Cent. Adaptated from the cult novel of the same name by Nick McDonell, the film tells the story of a group of wealthy and reckless teens from the Upper East Side of Manhattan; it premiered at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival.[12] Kravitz stars alongside Ezra Miller, Jesse McCartney, Campbell Scott and Amy Sedaris in Beware the Gonzo, a teen comedy directed by Bryan Goluboff.[13] She plays Evie Wallace, a high school sex columnist.[14] The film premiered at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival.[15]

Kravitz will appear in a six-episode arc on the Showtime television series Californication, playing Zoe, an uninhibited musician who recruits Becca (Madeleine Martin) into her all-girl band.[16] She will also star in Fury Road, by Australian filmmaker George Miller, alongside Nicholas Hoult, Teresa Palmer, and Adelaide Clemens. Set shortly after the 1985 film Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, Kravitz plays one of the "Five Wives", a group of women protected by Mad Max and chased while traveling in a convoy. The film, starring Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy, will shoot in Australia in early 2011.[17][18] On August 17, 2010, it became public that she had been cast in the role of Angel Salvadore in the X-Men spin-off, X-Men: First Class, directed by Matthew Vaughn.[19]

Modeling and music

Kravitz has modeled in fashion magazines such as French Jalouse, Venus Zine and Elle. As of November 2009, she was the face of Vera Wang's Princess fragrance, appearing on the website and in advertisements for the brand.[20] She starred in a campaign for fashion designer Alexander Wang.[21]

Kravitz fronts the New York/Philadelphia-based band, Elevator Fight, which she formed in 2009.[4] The band has 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.[22]

Personal life

Kravitz has a younger sister, Lola Iolani Momoa (born July 2007), and younger brother, Nakoa-Wolf Manakauapo Namakaeha Momoa (born January 2009), from her mother's relationship and marriage to actor Jason Momoa.[23] Kravitz had a relationship with actor Ben Foster in 2008.[24] As of 2009, she lives in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York City.[25]

Film

  1. Mad Max: Fury Road (2012) (in production)
  2. X-Men: First Class (2011) (pre-production) .... Angel
  3. Yelling to the Sky (2010) (post-production) .... Sweetness O'Hara
  4. It's Kind of a Funny Story (2010) .... Nia
  5. Beware the Gonzo (2010) .... Evie Wallace
  6. Twelve (2010) .... Gabby
  7. The Greatest (2009) .... Ashley
  8. Birds of America (2008) .... Gillian
  9. Assassination of a High School President (2008) .... Valerie Torres
    ... aka "The High School Conspiracy" - Europe (English title) (DVD title)
  10. The Brave One (2007) .... Chloe
    ... aka "Brave One" - Japan (English title)
  11. No Reservations (2007) .... Charlotte

<H5>Self:</H5>

  1. 11-04-08: The Day of Change (2009) (TV) .... Herself
  2. mtvU Woodie Awards 2008 (2008) (TV)

YearFilmRoleNotes2007No ReservationsCharlotteFeature film debutThe Brave OneChloe2008Assassination of a High School PresidentValerieBirds of AmericaGillian2009The GreatestAshley2010Yelling to the SkySweetness O'HaraTwelveGabbyBeware the GonzoEvie WallaceIt's Kind of a Funny StoryNia2011Fury RoadFive WivesX-Men: First ClassAngel Salvadore

YearFilmRoleNotes2007No ReservationsCharlotteFeature film debutThe Brave OneChloe2008Assassination of a High School PresidentValerieBirds of AmericaGillian2009The GreatestAshley2010Yelling to the SkySweetness O'HaraTwelveGabbyBeware the GonzoEvie WallaceIt's Kind of a Funny StoryNia2011Fury RoadFive WivesX-Men: First ClassAngel Salvadore

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Zoe Kravitz Covers 'Asos' July 2011

'Here’s what the 22-year-old X-Men: First Class actress had to share:

On being called an “it girl”: “All that ‘it girl’ s— makes me kind of uncomfortable. I’m only at the beginning of my career, but I feel successful in that I haven’t sold out in any way, shape or form. I feel good about the choices I’ve made, and I don’t feel like I’ve let go of any of my values. Fame has become this obsession for people, which kind of creeps me out.”

On loving London: “We (boyfriend Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, and Nicholas Hoult) were living in London for four months and it was like X-Men summer camp, so we all hung out at each other’s houses after filming, went out to pubs…I lived in Notting Hill, right by Portobello…I’m spending all my money on flea-market shopping!”

On finding fashion inspiration from her parents: “I used to be a little embarrassed by how she (mom Lisa Bonet) and my dad (Lenny Kravitz) would dress…but now I steal their clothes all the time.” '

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Zoe Kravitz Walking In Manhattan - June 30th, 2011

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Zoe Kravitz, Bella Heathcote and Juno Temple

Nylon May 2012

by Marvin Scott Jarrett

Nylon May 2012 - Zoe Kravitz, Juno Temple, Bella Heathcote 01.jpg th_2af312188938349.jpg/monthly_05_2012/post-50732-0-1614303154-61124_thumb.jpg" class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" alt="Nylon May 2012 - Zoe Kravitz, Juno Temple, Bella Heathcote 03.jpg"> Nylon May 2012 - Zoe Kravitz, Juno Temple, Bella Heathcote 04.jpg th_020470188938535.jpg/monthly_05_2012/post-50732-0-1614303154-63159_thumb.jpg" class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" alt="Nylon May 2012 - Zoe Kravitz, Juno Temple, Bella Heathcote 06.jpg"> Nylon May 2012 - Zoe Kravitz, Juno Temple, Bella Heathcote 07.jpg

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