I know Zoe Kazan from the really delightful romcom she starred in with Daniel Radcliffe, What If, which is available on demand from Showtime if you’re a subscriber. (Free plug for Showtime – their original shows, like Ray Donovan and Shameless, make it well worth the subscription, as do their movies. Disclosure – they give us advanced access to their shows online. We will plug the hell out of any service that does this. Get on board, HBO.) Zoe, 33, is a talented character actress who does a lot of work on stage. She’s currently starring in the off-Broadway play Love, Love, Love, which is getting rave reviews along with praise for Kazan’s performance. Zoe is also a writer, she’s written three plays and has a film she adapted coming out next year in which her boyfriend of ten years, Paul Dano, stars. In a new interview with The Daily Beast, Kazan explains that she’s perfectly happy playing secondary roles and working in plays. She also discusses her teenage bout with anorexia, which she opened up about in a first person essay published last month. Normally I wouldn’t cover Zoe but I was really impressed with her interview and a lot of what she said resonated with me.
On her career
“It’s just what happened. It was what was available to me, and the roles that were really interesting to me. There are fewer films made at a studio level I like than were made 15 years ago.“I didn’t have the Hollywood dream. I didn’t want to be an actor like Brad Pitt. I auditioned for the school play when I was 14 and came home and was like, ‘This is what I’m supposed to do with my life.’ It was more like a falling-in-love experience. I had that thing inside of myself, without which you can’t get through the terrible rejection that comes with being an actor.”
On body and self image
“I’m lucky. I’m slim. I am lucky that I’ve never been told by my agents that I had to lose weight. When I met my now-agent, I told her, ‘You can’t ever tell me to lose weight because I won’t respond well to it, and I’ll fire you if you tell me to.’ Going through my eating disorder allowed me to put certain boundaries up that I wouldn’t have known how to put up for myself otherwise.“How many times have I been told, ‘You’re not pretty enough.’ That sucks, but you don’t have any control over that. You get told, ‘You didn’t get this part ’cos they wanted a different look.’ That’s the code-word.”
On how she’s feeling after the election
“I can still hardly read the news. It’s really hard. It’s upsetting. I’m not being loud and speaking up in order to be a person who’s loud and speaking up. I’m doing it because I don’t feel I have any other choice right now.“If we don’t raise our voices, we are inviting something so dark into this country I can’t begin to fathom it. The way people are talking about Hitler is totally apropos. The way Trump is trying to marginalize and dehumanize certain people in this country is criminal and un-American, and as a country we’ve always struggled and strived to live up to the ideals our country stands for.”
On Trump’s plans for the country and activism
“I can’t fathom that the country where we want to be is the country where Muslims have to register, or are not allowed in this country, or where gay people have their rights revoked or women have their rights revoked or black people and Jews are targeted or considered sub-human.“Our rights will recover but our planet will not, and I feel something very precious is being taken from us every day, and he is far more dangerous than the media is reporting on. I have very little hope right now but a tremendous amount of fight left in me. I don’t see any reason to stop. We have to be our own watchdogs right now.”
I cosign all of what she said about politics. There is no way to be “nice” when things get this obvious and ridiculous. There is no way to play fair when it’s a concept that’s foreign to the other side and the entire reason they’re in power. Honestly we do get hate mail for covering politics. We get told to stay in our lane and only cover celebrity gossip. We are not going to stop covering politics because there is no longer a division between politics and entertainment. There is an unhinged reality TV star who is about to take office. Entertainment and politics have collided and created a baby-fisted monster.
As much as Kazan’s interview felt like a rallying cry, she did defend her friend Lena Dunham while completely missing the point of why people call out Lena. She chalked it up to misogyny, saying “She’s very powerful, and that’s why people are so hard on her. I think if this election has taught us anything it’s that misogyny is alive and well in this country, and smart, powerful women get a lot of rough treatment, especially by the media.” They do, but sometimes that’s warranted. It is definitely aimed more at women however I don’t think Lena is a decent example of that.
These two are so cute together.
photos credit: WENN.com
She looks like Chelsea!!! Hilary biopic 2057… Just saying.
WOW she really could play Hillary or Chelsea!!
Cute couple alert! And keep up the good fight here at Celebitchy. It’s my safe place for reading thoughtful discourse on politics with the option to diss someone’s outfit if I just can’t take it anymore!
Yes I second that! Thanks for being a sane news site as well as my go to gossip site!
Thirding!
Agreed – it is incredibly important to read so many intelligent comments and to know that there are others that feel the same way.
She was great in “It’s complicated” with Meryl Streep and “What If” with Dan Rad, I really like her!
Please continue to keep writing about politics on Celebitchy. Words have impact and your coverage, opinions, and take on the state of U.S. politics is important.
+10000. in addition to your coverage, I see much more civil discussions about the issues here than on Facebook, news websites etc. Hopefully this forum gives people insight they would have otherwise not gained.
Agreed. I worry quite a bit that if we don’t speak out, people in other countries will believe most Americans are on board with Trump.
Yes. The “there is no longer a division between entertainment and politics” statement is spot-on. If people are really all that bothered by there being a website that’s a blend of celebrity gossip, feminism, and politics, they can always just go elsewhere or not click on the stories they feel are ‘too political’ for them. It’s a big internet, people.
I need a voice of sanity right now- I feel exactly as she does. I was verbally attacked by a trump supporter who lives in my small town. He told me i’m a “problem” because women like me don’t realize “a man needs to be the head of household” and that I am one of the people who “don’t let men do manly things” like kissing and grabbing women. So I feel super numb right now and realize there is a wave of ignorance that is bigger than I could have ever predicted. CB political coverage helps me know I’m not alone and my shaking voice is needed!
They look like siblings
THIS
My thoughts exactly
I loved her and DanRad in that movie! Adam Driver was great in it as well. Great interview!
Celebitchy, thank you for your political posts. I’m a longtime lurker and have really enjoyed the articles throughout the election and afterwards. I appreciate that you call out the corruption, hypocrisy, racism, misogyny, xenophobia and homophobia that other media downplays (to a certain degree). I will continue to come here for my gossip and enjoy the political commentary as well… a very sincere Thank You.
same. in all this mess around the world, CB has been such a welcome surprise.
Thank you! I am having a really hard time day to day and it helps to hear this.
It’s odd, but this site has helped me cope with what I consider to be a travesty of justice on so many levels about the election. It helps me to formulate my thoughts and let out some steam in a way that is not just reactionary but hopefully a bit insightful. Thanks, CB.
CB, we appreciate you, your writers, and the site you run more than you can know. This is a place of fun, learning, entertainment, refuge, and yes bitching for many of us. Long may you reign!
I stopped reading other blogs because I felt guilty about sweeping it under the rug. This site is a good balance. Thanks for your work. Keep fighting the good fight.
I have to agree that Celebitchy has been my go to place over these LLLOOONNNGGG last few weeks since the underbelly of American politics was exposed so viciously, for all the world to see. The balanced and varied views of all the posters here has given me a small hope that we will survive and emerge victorious from this orange tainted mess. I always like to believe in the goodness of most people, and that we all want the same things in the end, beginning with a just, safe, world for our nearest and dearest, and ourselves. I can only hope that this is some cosmic test of our worthiness as a nation, and in the end the ideals that it was founded on will triumph. It will be a nightmare, but as long as good men and women (and Celebitchy) continue to address and expose the bullies and the thieves who have taken control (temporarily, one hopes) of this beloved country, we will continue to fight for what are our inalienable rights. Big pat on the back, and commiserations to all our dear writers, CB, Kaiser, Corey, and Hecate, keep up the good work.
Lena Dunham is in no way a powerful person.
That being said, she is right about the political situation.
she certainly has more power than the average person. thats not why she is attacked though. as if black women attack her just because she is a woman in power but Zoe does not seem to understand that its ok to call out racist white women. she should be careful not to try to silence those important voices with that.
I see Lena Dunham as more of a person of PRIVILEGE rather than power at this stage of the game. And she is blind to her own privilege.
She is a real deal actress and What If was such a fun quirky film. I also loved Ruby Sparks which I think she also wrote and she was also in thankyoumoreplease (?) with Ted from How I Met Your Mother.
Now I kind of crush a bit more because I love her political views and 2016 born activism, in which all of us formerly “sit like a lady” women are standing up and refusing to take this sitting down.
I have been more uncomfortable in thought and conversation leading up to and especially after the election, because some of my education was hard to grip, and some of what I learned about was ugly indeed. That doesn’t mean that I stopped going into those places to educate myself more. These conversations need to be heard, and carried and not normalized. What is going on isn’t normal, and I could give a rats ass about who I offend in my quest to educate and act.
Well done Zoe.
“She is a real deal actress… born activism..”
Well. She comes from Hollywood royalty and, I’m sure, understands her grandfather’s entanglement in HUAC and the repercussions… on both sides.
PS…corrupt Scott Walker (by proxy) gets to determine how the (probably corrupt) recount goes. Riggedly recounting a Republicanly-rigged recount.
Her grandfather was a fine director but ruined many careers, including that of Sean Penn’s father Leo. Unsurprisingly, Sean refused to applaud when Elia Kazan was honoured. Zoe has had some run ins with Sean on Twitter. I think she is somewhat in denial about her grandfather’s activities, but then many of us see our families through rose tinted glasses. Zoe and Paul are a great couple.
I loved her in the indie flick Happythankyoumoreplease. She has more range and depth than given credit for. I have to admit that my favorite Paul Dano role is from The Girl Next Door lol He was also good in his brief role in Taking Lives.
She’s always been one of my favorite character actors, along with Judy Greer since her role in Jawbreaker. They possess so much talent, as opposed to just relying on getting by on good looks. They’re both super intelligent women, which is why they’re magnetic. That’s what I think anyway.
I love her work – two plugs : she stars in In Your Eyes, a Joss Whedon romantic script that is amazing and streaming on Netflix, and The Pretty One, playing a twin who takes on her dead sisters identity ( also starring other fav Jake Johnson) – I love both these so much And Ruby Sparks, which she wrote and stars in with her boyfriend – ok I’m done now lol.
What If was just SO white despite taking place in New York. It was really hard for me to get past that while watching. Considering Lena’s own problems with casting, it doesn’t surprise me that they seem to be in the same boat of not understanding her criticisms.
your point still stands, but What If is set in Toronto.
This is a liberal, feminist site that covers celebrity gossip. I don’t know why people would send hate mail over politics coverage when the general standpoint of the site itself, as liberal and feminist, is under attack by a rising tide of far-right politics.
Nothing is carrying on as normal, including celebrity gossip.
Keep on keeping on, Celebitchy.
As I’ve said, I came (accidentally) for the snark, and stayed (intentionally) for the politics.
I think I initially turned up to poke fun at poor Tommy Hiddlesburp and then discovered that I could find out about and make friends with more American women here than anywhere else I’d visited online.
These days, I’m partly looking for international solidarity in dark times and partly trying to show that Britain isn’t entirely a foul hotbed of the worst of humanity post-Brexit!
@Sixer
“…looking for international solidarity in dark times…”
Well, when you come to NY, I’ll introduce you to many, many like-minded people and steer you away from the troglodytes.
🙂
I stumbled on this site after getting hooked on Sherlock and stayed for the hilarity and insightful comments from ladies around the globe. I’ve learned more about cultures abroad — UK especially — in two years of interacting here than in decades of living in my bubble. You Sixer — my lovely Devonista — are a big part of my education and I’m planting a digital smooch on you in thanks!
I’m glad for the political coverage as well. Even if you don’t agree with everything being said, it’s good to get outside of one’s echo chamber and consider other points of view. I follow a few thoughtful conservatives that will counter the liberals I tend to agree with for that very reason.
Awww. Thank you both. I mean that with all I’ve got.
@bonzo – here is hoping you will see this, can you list a couple of good conservatives to follow? I can only take so much of the Wall Street journal. I am struggling in the wake of this crisis to follow people who are normalizing or have normalized trump.
Hi Violet, one of my favorite liberals is Nick Kristof from NYT. He is someone willing to call out liberals on things they do wrong and gives thoughtful criticism to conservatives as well.
He recommended that liberals get out of their echo chambers and follow some conservatives that he recommended in this article:
http://www.nytimes.com/newsletters/2016/11/19/nicholas-kristof?nlid=45616064
I started following a few of them on Twitter and it’s been nice to see how many times I actually agree with them.
Consign as long time reader that loves this site for one stop shop site of celebrity gossip and sane political coverage/discourse. Those that criticize are likely in lockstep with Donald Douche so “shrugs” if they go away…
“We get told to stay in our lane and only cover celebrity gossip. We are not going to stop covering politics because there is no longer a division between politics and entertainment. There is an unhinged reality TV star who is about to take office. Entertainment and politics have collided and created a baby-fisted monster. ”
YES, YES, YES!!!!!!!!!!!
I loved her in “The pretty one”. I think she is a very talented artist and I am glad to see her covered her.
All you writers at Celebitchy, tha k you for what you do, and please keep writing on politics! It worries me how the media is trying to normalize him (I literally can’t say his name) and those he’s placing in power around him. This is a fascist agenda hes pushing and I’m forever grateful for you guys for pointing out the fuckery over and over. It has to be done, we can’t be quiet. Keep shining that light! And you all, fellow readers, thank you. I feel like this is one of the last safe places on the internet. It’s comforting to know I’m not alone.
Right? It’s worse than Beetlejuice!
I wholeheartedly agree with you.
Never ever commented on a gossip blog before but felt it’s important to say: Don’t stop covering politics! This is exactly how change will happen! Shine on!!
Celebitchy: I too am having a hard time with this madness. Every morning I realize anew that the nightmare is real. Kudos to you for staying strong and speaking truth to power so courageously. This site is an oasis for many of us. So many brilliant and aware women!
Thank you thank you!
Nice but…. ¿How about some Richard Armitage News ? like… i dont know how is Love love love doing (his first N.Y ) the audiobook or Berlin station :-p .I Need Some Armitage news despertly
What I love about CB aside from celebrity gossip is the education I receive from the commenters. Points of view, links, especially the links and “on the other hand” comments. And the humor. Laughter is good. The comments were a godsend the day after the election, knowing I wasn’t alone in my tears and taking in the comments from people all over the world. I felt less alone.
Longtime loyal reader, rarely comment. Just wanted to echo everyone else: please keep covering politics. Please keep refusing to normalize Trump. Y’all are wonderful, and many of us appreciate what you do.
I, for one, am grateful that you guys aren’t cutting back on all of the political stuff. Like John Oliver said, this is NOT NORMAL and the only way we’ll remember that is to keep it front and center. And yes, electing this reality clown to office completely makes the president-elect and everything in the world of celebrity. As does any and all activism on the part of celebrities. So yeah, keep at it, y’all!
Plus our feminist anti-xenophobic agenda is the MAJORITY of opinions. Yes, ignorance won the electoral college, but it won’t quell the obvious outrage that needs to be expressed. We need each other to say- “did you see that?” Yes, I saw that! You are not alone!
I love that you guys cover politics and I love the wonderful and respectful readers who comment and support one another and try to lift one another up during the tremendously uncertain and anxiety-inducing times we live in. Rock on.