During our award season coverage, I wrote about Odessa A’zion and Stevie Nicks-esque style. Odessa costars in Marty Supreme, and she’s gotten a lot of awards buzz and attention. She’s been nominated for a BAFTA and a SAG in supporting, but she didn’t make the cut for an Oscar nomination. Anyway, as I wrote about her style, I honestly had to double-check her race/ethnicity. I truly thought she was mixed race – she reminds me a bit of Halsey, looks-wise, and Halsey is white-presenting mixed-race. Well, that’s when I learned that Odessa is just a white woman who gives off mixed-race energy. It happens. I swear this is important! It’s important because Odessa recently booked a new role, only the character is supposed to have Mexican heritage. Odessa took a role from a Latina actress, or at least that was the backlash. Well, the backlash was short-lived, because Odessa just dropped out of the film.
“Marty Supreme” breakout Odessa A’zion took to her Instagram Stories on Wednesday night to announce she is dropping out of Sean Durkin’s A24 adaptation of “Deep Cuts” after the online outrage surrounding her casting, which was announced Monday.
“Guys! I am with all of you and I am not doing this movie. Lemme make myself clear,” A’zion wrote on her Instagram story Wednesday.
In the popular 2025 Holly Brickley novel, the character of Zoe Gutierrez is of Mexican heritage and is Jewish. The character is a close friend of music critic Percy, who will be played by Cailee Spaeny, and the ex-girlfriend of Percy’s love interest Joe, who will be played by Drew Starkey.
“Thank you guys for bringing this to my attention,” D’Azion continued, “I’m so sorry that this happened. I went in for Percy, but was offered Zoe instead and instantly said yes! I’m so pissed y’all, I hadn’t read the book and should have paid attention to all aspects of Zoe before accepting…and now that I know what I know? F–k that. I’m out!
“I’d never take a role from someone else that’s meant to do it. That SHOULD do it! That’s not me. There are a plentitude of people more than capable of playing this role and I am not one of them. I can’t wait to see who it ends up being.”
Austin Butler and Saoirse Ronan were originally set to star in the music-fueled romance, but dropped out due to scheduling issues. The film is produced by Eli Bush, Ronald Bronstein and Josh Safdie, with Durkin also producing along with Anthony Katagas, Jordan Tappis and A24. Brickley is an executive producer.
My thoughts? Fair enough, across the board. I’m actually glad she said she hadn’t read the book, because that explains a lot. My guess is that the character’s racial/ethnic background wasn’t explained to her in those meetings. Let me also say this: Odessa is getting so much hype, and Marty Supreme was a huge break for her career. It’s significant that a relative ingenue like Odessa is “starting” this new phase of her career in this way, by dropping out of a role because she doesn’t want to take the part away from an actress with Mexican heritage. Many actresses would have dug their heels in and argued that “anyone can play any character.”
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid.
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- 31st Annual Critics Choice Awards at the Barker Hanger on January 4, 2026 in Santa Monica, CA,Image: 1063563439, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Odessa A’zion, Credit line: Nicky Nelson/Wenn/Avalon
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- 31st Annual Critics Choice Awards at the Barker Hanger on January 4, 2026 in Santa Monica, CA,Image: 1063563442, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Odessa A’zion, Credit line: Nicky Nelson/Wenn/Avalon
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- Odessa A’zion at the 83rd Annual Golden Globe Awards held at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 11, 2026 in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California, United States.,Image: 1065335578, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Odessa Azion, Credit line: Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency/Avalon
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- Odessa Azion at the 83rd Annual Golden Globe Awards held at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 11, 2026 in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California, United States.,Image: 1065338373, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Odessa Azion, Credit line: Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency/Avalon
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- Santa Monica, CA Celebrities attend the 31st Annual Critics Choice Awards at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California. Pictured: Odessa A’zion BACKGRID USA 4 JANUARY 2026 BYLINE MUST READ: Juan Rico / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
The character in the book is Mexican and Jewish, and Odessa is, as far as I know, Jewish, so she fits part of the character’s background.
Not the part most likely to lose a great role to a white woman, though.
I find it hard to believe she didn’t know a character named Zoe Gutierrez was Latina.
I find @Mac’s comment rather harsh. I would never presume to know a person’s ethnicity/race because of their name. From Wiki: Gutiérrez is a Spanish surname of Germanic origin meaning “son of Gutier/Gutierre”. It is also the Spanish form of Walters, Watkins, and Watson. Just sayin’…..
Many Sephardim have Spanish surnames. The character as a Mexican Jew is most likely a Sephardic Jew unless it’s a case of an Ashkenazi mother (while most Ashkenazi are white, not all are) and a Mexican father who may or may not be a Sephardic Jew. I haven’t read the book so I don’t have the info to know what the exact case is. If she is being replaced by a Latina actress because the character is Mexican, are they looking for a Jewish one?
If she didn’t read the book then she didn’t know if the character was married. It could be a married name
Could someone please talk to Scarlett Johansson about how it’s flipping done?!?
I am still waiting for her to play a tree.
The president of Mexico is a Jewish woman who is of Spanish heritage through her Sephardic roots but most recently descended from people of Eastern Europe. Ethnicity is extremely complicated.
“Well, that’s when I learned that Odessa is just a white woman who gives off mixed-race energy. It happens.”
Nope! “It happens” because Odessa purposely restyled herself to give off mixed-race energy. Because prior to this recent transformation, she was out here looking like a straight-up blond, blue-eyed white woman.
This⬆️
Well damn,I went back to look at her older pictures and she looked like a young Uma Thurman so this switch up is very intentional some of the pics I have seen she has such a deep tan. It was a conscious decision to look like Lisa Bonnett. Its giving Rachael Dolezal.
Yeah she’s doing a Ariana Grande.
When is it having fun and experimenting with different looks and vibes vs co-opting a racial presentation that women of various ethnic groups have been denigrated for?
If anyone has the time or energy or desire to educate, i would so very much appreciate any thoughts on this.
I feel as though I would have been able to dissect this topic a few years ago and also to have seen it a million miles away. Maybe it’s because I know nothing about her? And I’ve only ever seen her with dark hair? I’m trying to fix a possible blind spot.
Thank you.
I think it’s the spray tan? I can’t imagine she is sunning enough every day to have her complexion look that much darker. Maybe I’m wrong though? The darker hair is not a big deal but paired with what seems to be a spray tan, I can see it. Sounds like she’s aware though as she chose not to take the part.
But idk, Again, I looked back and maybe it’s not a spray tan and she just looks different with the dark hair? And different makeup?
Silly Goose, plenty of people have used up their energy and taken the time to educate on this very topic. You can find it all by doing your own internet research instead of sitting passively by asking for people to do it all over again.
TBH, the pendulum has swung to a place where any faux or natural brunette who tans noticeably is assumed to be trying to pass herself off as another race no matter what. The conversation around cultural appropriation and race-fishing can sometimes be extreme. Before reading this I assumed she was from Spain.
This. She had reddish hair and pale skin. That curly black wig and spray tan is doing a lot of heavy lifting.
@silly goose It’s more she’s trying to use her change up to make people think she has mixed heritage. Just like she changed her last name to sound more “exotic”.
YUP!!
But Odessa does look beautiful no matter her hair style or tan.
THIS. That’s exactly what I thought when I did a quick check on other images of her. That does not appear to be her “natural” appearance. She is going for an intentional mixed/ambiguous look. And I feel certain that she knew full well who the character was.
I’ll also add that I don’t think actors and actresses should be pressured into giving up roles for such reasons. GOOD actors and actresses should be able to play any role convincingly.
I was going to see this too. She does look mixed race but she’s been catching flack online for black fishing because of her dying her hair, wearing it curly and the deep tan. Maybe it is naturally very curly and she always straightened it before but it wasn’t dark.
When I was her age I had mousy colored hair and dyed it black. I just liked that it was more dramatic.
While her decision is correct let me state this as a Mexican individual: there is no one way to look for someone who is Mexican or of Mexican ancestry. There is such a mishmash of different ancestries represented in the Mexican people. No one skin tone, hair color or eye color is indicative of being Mexican. Is brown hair and brown eyes with a medium brown skin prevalent? Yes, and this is likely from indigenous ancestry. But there’s also Irish, German, Chinese, west African, Spanish, Moorish (Arabic from the Iberian peninsula), Portuguese, etc etc ancestry.
I myself am of dark brown hair and eyes with a light tan skintone with gold/olive undertones, and have had other Mexican people tell me I do not look Mexican. Born and raised there by other folk also born and raised there going back several generations. There is no one look to being Mexican.
Both Stevie Nicks and Odessa are Geminis.
Also, Odessa’s mom is the voice of Bobby Hill. Just some random trivia.
Odessa’s mom is Pam Adlon???? How did I not know this? Now I’m going to be reading all her posts in Bobby’s voice, lol!
But seriously, Pam is a stand-up woman and it sounds like she raised her girl right.
Oh wow, did not know that either! Honestly the darker hair and tanner complexion just makes her look a little more like her mom
When I first saw Odessa she had very light brown hair and is fair skinned — so I knew she wasn’t biracial. I think it was wise for her step away from the role. She isn’t of Mexican descent so why do the film?
About 20 years ago there was a film called The Perez Family about a cuban refugees staring Marisa Tomi, Alfred Molina and Angelica Huston. Not one of those actors is Cuban and Molina is half Spanish. Hollywood has been better with this but folks have to keep their boots on these people’s necks.
Her mom is amazing actor Pamela Adlon so I never thought she was anything other than white. But either way am glad she stepped down.
She looks like an Ashkenazi Jew with Mediterranean/middle eastern skin tone that tends to tan easily. She died her hair dark black and got extensions to match her naturally curly hair. *shrug*
I never thought she was mixed race so if that’s the look she was going for it didn’t work.
Anyway, I’m glad she stepped down.
I assumed she was a white American, likely of Spanish or Italian ancestry. She looks quite a bit like some of my Spanish relatives. Mostly her hair.
Now I’m wondering if I have a racial blind spot to a white woman co-opting women of colors appearance or if simply not knowing what she looked like before this look – I’ve seen pictures of her maybe 3 times in the past month and didn’t know she existed before that – explains it.
I don’t want to be slipping on my personal education of social issues.
Exactly!
Just checked her wikipedia page, her dad is a director and her mom an actress. I knew she had nepo baby vibes !
Hmmm
That’s why I’m not getting why people are thinking she’s trying to pass for mixed-race. How would she actually be able to fool people if there’s some understanding of who her parents are?
I just thought she was going with Gen Z styling, or maybe not even that. Since she’s 25, that seems to be the age to experiment with how you look.
Mad respect.
Her appearance makes me feel like she’s someone trying to look like a revived, sexy Amy Winehouse,.. I don’t know how to explain it better,,. But I just get a try hard Amy winehouse energy?!
She reminds me of Kesha.
I would have actually thought she was a singer rather than an actress.
My understanding is that Mexicans/Latinas can be of white ancestry (as well as other ancestries, and it varies by individual), but if this is because of a cultural angle I will defer to others’ expertise in what’s casting appropriate. I don’t really know what’s actually considered appropriate in this case.
I also think her styling is kind of like Mijey Madison’s. Both actresses would fit an “attractive” category but don’t look so polished as other actresses, but maybe that’s by design.
Kaiser, will you please do an article about Odessa’s name change? I’ve tried to research it on my own but I can’t find anything.
Not that hard to figure out with a google search. She wanted to avoid being labeled a nepo baby. Her real name Odessa Zion Segall Adlon. Mother is actress and voice actor Pamela Adlon (née Segall) and her father is director Felix O. Adlon. Pamela and Felix divorced in 2010.
Odessa took the first letter of her last name added an apostrophe and her middle name that’s how she came up with her last name.
Not that dissimilar to Nicolas Cage who didn’t want to be defined by his famous Uncle in the 80s Francis Ford Coppola. Nicolas was born Nicolas Kim Coppola.