It's fitting that Zoë Kravitz's breakout role should come as Angel Salvadore, a genetically enhanced youngin in "X-Men: First Class." The 22-year-old has some pretty impressive genes of her own; her parents are rocker-turned-actor Lenny Kravitz and actress Lisa Bonet.
After making her film debut in the 2007 Catherine Zeta-Jones vehicle "No Reservations" (where she had "about two lines"), Kravitz has dabbled mostly in low-budget indie fare, highlighted by an impressive turn in last year's "It's Kind of a Funny Story."
"First Class" will introduce many to the striking Kravitz, whose mutant is recruited from her day (night?) job as a stripper to help save the world from the brink of nuclear destruction. Her powers? Insect wings and, as Kravitz puts it, "she can also projectile vomit this acidic substance."
So yeah, she's got power vomit.
What did you buy with your first Hollywood paycheck?
Oh my god, what did I buy with my first Hollywood paycheck? Probably clothes. Probably vintage clothes and maybe a really expensive sushi dinner. That was probably all ["No Reservations"] paid for. [laughs]
Who are some of your acting inspirations?
Helena Bonham Carter is one of my favorites. Gene Wilder, Christopher Walken, Cate Blanchett, Meryl Streep, Jodie Foster… I guess they're kind of obvious answers but they're all amazing.
How did having parents in showbiz prepare you for an acting career?
I don't know, I think it kind of just allowed me to not take it so seriously. I'm lucky to have parents that don't really take the industry so seriously and it wasn't really a topic of conversation very much at home. We lived like just regular people, so I think that's helped me not really focus on that as much as just on what I love to do, which is acting.
Mac or PC?
Mac.
New York or L.A.?
New York.
"Harry Potter" or "Twilight?"
Neither.
Rock or rap?
Rock.
Beer or wine?
Wine. This is fun!
Beiber or Timberlake?
Timberlake.
Vampires, zombies, or werewolves?
Zombies!
Cowboys or aliens?
Aliens.
Lady Gaga or Madonna?
Madonna. The OG.
Apples or oranges?
Apples.
What would you be doing if you weren’t acting?
Music, or maybe directing.
What music are you listening to right now?
Right now I am listening to the new TV On the Radio, and the James Blake record, and this group called Little Dragons, which I just got really into as well.
What is your dream role in Hollywood?
I don’t really know. I mean, one of my favorite roles is Helena Bonham Carter's character in "Fight Club." I thought that was the most badass thing in the world. I want to play character roles, which I think she's really good at… very dramatic, diverse characters that are kind of out-there. It would be fun to play a serial killer.
Have you guys talked about more "X-Men" movies?
Yeah, it's definitely in all of our contracts. We have to sign up for a three-picture deal, and we all enjoyed each other very much, so hopefully the film does well and they'll want to continue this.
So you guys built a lot of camaraderie on set?
Oh yeah, we all became very, very close. It was kind of like summer camp, we became a group of silly kids. It was awesome.
What’s next for you after "X-Men?"
Well I just did an independent film called "Yelling to the Sky," which is me and Gabourey Sidibe. We were taking it around… we went to Berlin and South by Southwest, so we're kind of just taking that to different festivals right now. And then in January I’m meant to go to Australia to shoot "Mad Max: Fury Road."
