When Vincent N Roxxy writer-director Gary Michael Schultz was conceiving the characters for his latest movie, he had one person in mind to play his titular leading lady: Zoë Kravitz.
“She is just who I wanted,” he tells EW when the movie premiered earlier this month at the Tribeca Film Festival. “Seeing some of her early work, there’s something in her that is special. And the truth is, there’s just not enough great roles for women, period. So I wanted to explore that. I wanted to write something really dynamic for a woman, a really strong character.”
In the movie, Kravitz’s Roxxy, a rebellious punk rocker, is saved from a violent attack by Vincent, a small-town loner played by Emile Hirsch (Into the Wild). After Vincent’s family attempts an intervention on him at their family farm, he and Roxxy go on the run. They quickly discover, though, “a common history and realize that violence and rage is, for them, inescapable,” according to the movie’s official description.
Attracted to her character’s toughness, Kravitz tells EW there was another big draw for her. “It’s very rare to see a strong female character written for a brown girl where the story doesn’t revolve [around] the color of her skin, and the relationship between her and Vincent isn’t about it being an interracial relationship,” she explains. “And then the story takes such an interesting turn that kind of turns Roxxy into this incredible heroine — vigilante, really.”
Vincent N Roxxy also stars Emory Cohen (Brooklyn) and Scott Mescudi, aka Kid Cudi. See the interview above with Kravitz and Schultz to learn which ’70s movies influenced him.
Source: Entertainment Weekly