Zoë Kravitz Wanted to Make It Big Without Her Famous Last Name
"I thought about not using it."
Back before Zoë Kravitz was getting top billing on HBO limited series, starring in X-Men flicks, and being the face of a global beauty brand (that'd by YSL Beauté, by the way), she tried to get attention as Zoë Isabella, her first and middle names, ditching the Kravitz name and trying to escape the looming shadow of her famous family. Kravitz explained it all during an appearance on Dax Shepard's Armchair Expert podcast, but said that as hard as she tried, things just didn't work out.
"I thought about not using it," Kravitz said. "I kind of tried to do it, but it just like didn't stick. People kept on forgetting. No one was responding to this idea I had. I would tell my agent and it just wasn't happening."
Kravitz even brought up the idea to her dad, Lenny. She told Shepard that he wasn't really on board with the idea and that, of course, it made him sad. So, not only did the industry not respond to her efforts as Zoë Isabella, her family didn't like it. So, she ditched the whole idea. Now, she explained, she's proud of her family and her last name.
"I also think I mentioned it to my dad at one point and I think I could feel that it made him a little sad. So, yeah, I just kind of stuck with it," Kravitz continued. "I did used to be really insecure about people just associating me with my family and now I love it — I'm so proud of them and it's cool."