Zoë Kravitz, 33, on bucking narrative she has to be 'a grown-up': 'There’s no finish line that I have to get to by a certain time'

Zoë Kravitz has had a transformational few years after getting married in 2019, filing for divorce in 2021 and exploring new love with Channing Tatum. Through the changes, however, the 33-year-old explains that she's closer to finding herself than ever before.

"My life changed after that," Kravitz told Elle for the magazine's March 2022 cover story, referring to being isolated in London for three months as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. "It was a gift, just taking the time."

While the time off was unexpected, Kravitz now marks it as the beginning of "the journey I'm on right now," through which she's learning more about "who I am." She even noted that it's a far departure from the place she was in while in her 20s.

"I wasn’t making choices based on what felt good to me. Now we’re in an era of, What do I actually want? The good spot right now is taking a minute to say, 'Maybe I should do this differently,' and seeing what that feels like," she explained. "Moments where I’m like, 'Okay, I’ve been smoking and drinking maybe a little more than I should—let’s look at what’s going on.' And then I’m like, 'I should call a therapist.' And sometimes, you need to dance it out."

And while she's able to trust her emotions and properly process them in a way that feels natural to her, Kravitz has also learned to trust in the timing of her life, rather than pushing herself to achieve certain things on someone else's timeline.

"I don’t feel pressured to have kids by a certain time, if I ever have kids. This idea of like, you’re 30. You’re a grown-up. Now you’re supposed to have kids and stop having fun, because that’s for children—I bought that for a second. It was like, ‘I don’t go out anymore. I just make roast chickens.’ But I still want to go on adventures, have fun nights, and see the sunrise," she said. "It’s been an interesting journey of remembering that there’s no finish line that I have to get to by a certain time. Playful, mischievous behavior is something I always hope to have, even when I’m 70 years old. The point of being alive is to experience life and play with it. There’s still so much fun to be had."

Both fun and fulfilling opportunities certainly aren't lacking for Kravitz, who's starring alongside Robert Pattinson in Batman as Catwoman and making her directorial debut this summer. But even her success in Hollywood is something that she's had a complicated relationship with as the daughter of two icons Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet.

"There was a little bit of embarrassment around what came with my last name," she said of being a Kravitz. "People would always assume that if I got a job, it was because of that. That was hard. But I was incredibly privileged. I got an agent easily. I’m not going to pretend like it didn’t help me get into the room. But I had to remember that I work hard, and as a child I was putting on performances in my grandparents’ house. And it had nothing to do with who my family was. It was because I loved it."

Over time, she's worked to claim her career as her own, proving "not only to the world, but to myself, that I deserve to take up space in the industry," she said. Even now, she continues to make an effort to not allow the judgement of others to interrupt her own peace — a problem that is exacerbated by unsolicited comments, opinions and advice that people are faced with on social media.

"The fact that people don’t think what they say affects a celebrity because you’re not a person to them is crazy," Kravitz told the magazine. "I’m a human being. I want to f***ing defend myself."

Kravitz's Instagram is now notably bare, except for a few work-related posts. "I needed to take a minute," she said, sharing that she felt she was "walking on eggshells" instead of living life in the way that she wanted to.

Now, being in control of her own life and happiness is something that's at the forefront of her mind.

"I feel optimistic about life, and I think [love] comes hand in hand with it," Kravitz said. "All my relationships in life—my friendships, my romantic relationships, my family—the journey is learning how to show up honestly. Sometimes we can’t show up, and that’s okay as long as we know how to communicate that we love those people. That’s the 20-year-old who’s like, 'I can do it all. I can do it all. I can do it all.' And now I’m in a place where whatever I’m feeling is okay, wherever I’m at is okay."

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