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I’ll be completely honest — when I learned that Lenny Kravitz had accepted the role of Cinna (the highly effective and unabashedly flamboyant stylist) in The Hunger Games, I was overjoyed that the movie had gained a much needed dose of sex appeal. When Kravitz appeared in the film’s trailer, my hopes were boosted to overflowing capacity. Obviously, I’m very excited about the movie in general, but I’m particularly intrigued by the casting of both Kravitz and Woody Harrelson as Haymitch, and I hope it proves to be a very good show.
In the interest of promotion, Lenny sat down to chat with Interview magazine to discuss The Hunger Games. He’s amazingly perceptive about the subject matter, and it’s apparent that the man has done his homework in grand style. It’s a pretty lengthy piece, and I’ve left out the parts where Lenny discusses his mixed heritage (half African-American and half Russian Jew) because his words are mostly a reiteration of things he’s said before. However, here are some excerpts about his upcoming role as Cinna as well as some talk about his favorite place, Paris. Oh, and he takes his shirt off for the photoshoot! You’re welcome.
How he scored the Hunger Games role: “Gary [Ross] saw Precious and said that he liked the character of Nurse John, so he thought I’d be right for the role in Hunger Games since Cinna is somebody who is looking out for somebody and is a support figure, too. So he called me [and], “Hi, I’m making this movie called The Hunger Games. I think you’d be great. If you want it, you’ve got the part.” No audition. I was really flattered, but I had not read the book. So I downloaded it. I remember I started it late one night and I needed to go to bed–I was tired and had been recording all day and night–but I couldn’t stop reading because I was captured by the story. So I finished the book and called him back and said, “I’d love to do it.” You know, the film definitely represents these times–from government on down to reality television. It’s interesting that we’re living in these times. Really, when you go back to being in junior high school and reading George Orwell’s 1984, you’re, like, “Man, here were are . . .” Our characters have changed, our sensibilities. We’re definitely morphing into something different.”
On Hunger Games vs. reality “You know what’s funny? A lot of reality television started in Europe–things like Big Brother, where you had random people living in a house together and all this stuff started happening. And then you had all the gladiator stuff and the competitions. I remember saying, “One day we’re going to watch people fight to the death, like Roman times. Instead of being in a coliseum, we’re going to watch it on TV .” It sounds like a really far-fetched and politically incorrect statement at this point, but who knows how twisted we’re going to get? Because our appetite grows, our thirst for excitement . . . So who knows in the next 50 years where we’re gonna go? Hopefully we’ll go somewhere smarter and more beautiful and more peaceful, but that’s not where we’re headed at the moment. Things that would shock us years ago are like nothing now.”
Does he prefer America or Paris? “[laughs] I have to say Paris, bro. I fell in love with Paris the first time I went. It was 1989, and I had just signed with Virgin Records. They were quite honest with me, which is why I signed with them. They said, “Look, we don’t know if this music is going to sell. We don’t know how to market it.” Because, obviously, I didn’t fit in a box, and a lot of people expected me to be doing what most African-American musicians were doing at the time . . . Anyway, they didn’t know what to do with me. So what’d they do? They sent me to Europe. I went to France, England, Germany, Holland . . . That’s where the whole thing started for me. The gig that really broke me was this festival called [Rencontres] Trans Musicales, which is in Rennes, France. That gig changed my life, and I started spending a lot of time over there, which is sort of how I ended up falling in love with Paris.”
On Europe vs. America: Well, since I’ve been on the scene–for 23 years–I think kids in Europe have developed a deeper knowledge of music and of black music in particular. You go to Europe, and these kids know about all this obscure funk and soul that kids over here wouldn’t know. I think it’s getting better in the States, though, with the age of the Internet. I mean, my daughter, Zoe and her crew–those kids know everything. But that has taken time to happen over here. It’s definitely been more of a European thing. Or, if you go to Japan, they’re still buying vinyl, and they want the education. They know who’s playing on what tracks from the ’60s and the ’70s–who the guitar player is, who the drummer is, who the producer was, what studio it was recorded in. That’s how you and I grew up listening to music. We bought albums. We read the liner notes. It was important to know the whole history behind it.”
On daughter Zoe’s career: “It’s beautiful. She was in the latest X-Men movie last summer. She also did this really beautiful independent film, Yelling to the Sky, which went to the festivals. She’s in this band called Elevator Fight, and they’re making some really cool music. I went to a gig of hers in Brooklyn not that long ago. She just watched everything as a child. She was around a lot of great, creative people, being with me and her mother [Kravitz's ex-wife, actress Lisa Bonet]. She just finished making her album. It’s just wonderful to see her doing her thing.”
[From Interview]
See how he discusses the difference between European and American culture in a very specific manner (that is, in relation to musical tastes) and doesn’t come off sounding like a total douche? Gwyneth Paltrow could take a lesson or two from Lenny. Speaking of Goop, I still can’t believe that Lenny hangs with her and even allows her to call him “Leonard.” I have to admit dying a little bit inside about that revelation, but I’m willing to forgive Lenny for that. Only because of his otherwise awesome personality and sparkling good looks.
Photos courtesy of Interview magazine
Written by Bedhead
Posted in Lenny Kravitz, Zoe Kravitz
- Friends reunion on Ellen [Popsugar]
- Lindsey Vonn watches Tigers kids [Lainey Gossip]
- George Michael fell out of a car going 70mph [D-Listed]
- Real Housewives of Orange County recap [Reality Tea]
- New Man of Steel trailer [Pajiba]
- Jared Padalecki’s hot bod [Buzzfeed]
- Doctors confirm Taylor Swift’s new boobs [Evil Beet]
- Catherine Zeta-Jones finished treatment [CDAN]
- Anna Paquin hates the paps [Celebslam]
- Lance Armstrong is gross [The Blemish]
- What is Barbara Palvin wearing? [Moe Jackson]
- This is Petra Nemcova? [SVC]
He just doesn’t age. Amazing.
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Like fine wine….hmmmm.
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yeah…
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He looks considerably older and his face is lined with a lot of wrinkles (as nature intended). He looks great.
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I never thought I’d find a dude with 2 nose rings attractive. He just oozes sexuality. While he isn’t who first popped in my mind as Cinna (I was thinking the cute guy who played Mark on Ugly Betty, kind of cliche’, I know), I think he will be perfect! 2 more weeks!!!
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Sex bomb. Forever.
Can’t wait for the movie. Tore through the Trilogy in a day and a half major reading session. He seems too much like a man who loves women to be Cinna. I am sure he will be great.
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He’s prefect as Cinna.
Woody is perfect as Haymitch. All the Capitol people look fantastic. I love the choices for Gale and Peeta, but I’m not sure about Katniss?
I cannot wait for this movie. I haven’t been this excited for a movie in a long time, I may even fork out the dollars to see it in the VIP theatre. yippee!
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Haha I’m just reversed, I don’t know if I’m going to like Josh as Peeta…he’s just not what I expected. I thought someone bigger, beefier…I’m so ready to see the movie though! These two weeks are DRAGGING!
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I know! I feel the same way about Peeta. In fact, I started reading the book erroneously thinking that Liam Hemsworth was supposed to be Peeta, not Gale. When I found out he’s Gale and this (much less beefy AND less hot in my opinion) Josh kid is Peeta, I was a bit disappointed.
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Josh as Peeta fits in that he’s shorter (and supposed to be stockier/thicker, from tossing around all those 50lb bags of flour) in stature, but he’s not blond and his eyes are brown, not blue.
The other guy makes sense to me as Gael, as he’s supposed to be the tall handsome one all the girls have eyes for.
Now we need Taylor Kitsch as Finnick and Alan Cumming as Beetee.
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I agree with kay regarding katniss. can’t wait to see movie tho
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I brought the first book yesterday hopefully I like it… Lenny is beautiful
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I bought the trilogy and have read through it 3 times now.
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OH yes, he sure is. I’d so hit that. mmmmmmmm.
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OMG, he got a nose job! awful. i always found him to be so attractive. not so much now. another one bites the dust.
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yeah, his nose DOES seem different? what’s up with that? maybe it’s the pictures/photoshop? too bad.
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Others may come and go, but Lenny Kravitz will always, always and forever be in my top ten. (Top five, really.)
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He is so hot. That camper he has I think in the Bahamas where he lives for long chunks at a time to get back to nature blew me away. He really did live simply a good portion of the year for a few years while recording. Though, he has a gorgeous studio to go into there he built. Very interesting man. I never could figure out when he went celibate to get out of having meaningless sexcapades and find someone meaningful but that didn’t seem to work. He seemed to have been celibate for quite a while but I bet he finally caved. He hasn’t had a serious relationship since being engaged to Nicole Kidman.
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he was engaged to kidman? interesting. he seems so chill, and she’s comes off very controlled. interesting mix.
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They were together for quite a while trying to stay under the radar. It leaked out they were engaged and Tom even said in an interview he was happy for Nicole finding someone. Then it was reported they were in Miami together and she left the nightclub earlier than him and he was seen hitting on another woman and got busted. The relationship ended. I felt bad for Nicole.
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OMG I completely forgot about Nicole!!! It was always a weird pairing but makes me like her a little more.
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I love you Lenny
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me too!
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What a beautiful body and face.
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He is dead sexy.
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I think I just fell in love! That was awesome! And damn, the dude doesn’t age, I honestly thought he was Zoe’s older brother, not Dad. *Sigh* He’s sexy, funny AND smart. Someone please pinch me. This dude isn’t real, they don’t have hims (is too a word!) in Hollyweird.
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me too! i had no idea he was her dad! crazy.
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I’m very obviously in the minority here, but I thought the cultural comparison came off as very GOOPY. Just because someone doesn’t know the studio an album was recorded in doesn’t mean that they can’t have great appreciation for the music. He may be hot, but he sounds like an aging, try-hard hipster douce.
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Hrm. I didn’t see it this way – I read it as him saying that people in Europe seemed to him more interested in finding out about things (not that they were better at appreciating music). Which might by the way simply be a fad – it’s cool to know obscure American bands from the 70s that other people never heard of.
Anyway, I know Americans who’d study footnotes on CDs if CDs had footnotes, and Europeans who don’t know the names of artists they’re listening to.
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Wow. What a beautiful man. That second pic is cooking pron. Wow.
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Hopefully we’ll go somewhere smarter and more beautiful and more peaceful, but that’s not where we’re headed at the moment.
God I hope so. Unfortunately we know how awful human kind is. I like him.
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from your keyboard to G-d’s eyes
unfortunately, at the rate we’re going, we’ll be watching witch trials and executions on TV in 20 years (or less)
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thank you, thank you, thank you! more him, less kim k please!
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Lenny is the man. Check out this video of him jamming with a high school chorus on the street in New Orleans -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBgZNINN6MU
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That was the epithome of cool!!!!
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As a HalfaJew, why didn’t he point out that the Nazis forced Jews to fight each other to the death pitting inequal partners like grandmothers against teenagers? Even the Japanese did it with China’s athletes and martial artists. BOTH Germans and Japanese used animals against their victims forced to fight.
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he may not have known. A a wholeaJew I didn’t
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cant wait to buy Zoe’s album…….
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YES Lenny Kravitz photos!!
Oh look an article too.
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Lenny Kravitz has been a crush of mine since I was old enough to have crushes and I must say that the older he gets the hotter he gets.
Look at that chest! *wipes drool from her mouth*
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LOL, so weird…as I am reading this thread, Lenny’s version of “American Woman” is playing on the radio…Huh…
He is super-sexy. I had a friend in Jr. High who was convinced she was going to marry him. Didn’t happen yet!
I think he is awesome as Cinna and I can’t wait to see Woody as Haymich. I am still unsure on the rest of the cast but am pretty sure this is going to be epic!
2 more weeks! Oh hey yay – Mad Men starts theh same weekend! That will, by far, be my favorite weekend of the year
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Lenny Kravitz is sex on a stick! I think his Cinna is going to be great!
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There is such a smoldering sexiness about him.
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Love the Lenny – he puts the sex in sexy!
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He is just…WOW. Getting even better with age.
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He’s so beautiful.
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How old is he again?
He’s so damn hot, god..
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He’ll be 48 in May, can you believe it? So gorgeous…
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Hands down the most beautiful man in the world.
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Lenny is the original DILF!
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Rrrraaaaarrrrwwww!
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he just keeps getting better with age DAMN that lisa bonet she had him and now Momoa! lucky girl.. Oh lenny I love you
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IKR?! Momoa AND Kravitz?? Nobody should be that lucky.
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Oh. My. God.
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