Iād been nervous about interviewingĀ ZoĆ« KravitzĀ all week. Not because she is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful and self-possessed women in the world, but because for our initial icebreaker activity sheād chosen to go bowling, a sport for which I have absolutely zero aptitude.
We meet at The Gutter in Williamsburg, a trendy bowling alley-cum-bar. Think craft beer and distressed leather. Zoƫ arrives looking effortless.
Itās a mild March afternoon here in New York; a light beige trench over a crisp white shirt shrouds her petite frame, a string of red beads hangs around her neck and a ludicrously capacious Saint Laurent bag is slung over her shoulder. Her hair is down, her ā90s-inspired sunglasses are on, where they remain for the rest of our encounter. She looks good: composed, confident, as though sheās about to absolutely annihilate me in a game of skittles.
Apart from maybe one double-take, nobody on the sidewalk seems to bat an eyelid at Zoë Kravitz. Which is surprising. Only the day before, news outlets were flooded with images of her walking down the street, arm in arm with maybe-boyfriend, maybe-fiancé Harry Styles.
Was that officialĀ Kiss All The Time. Disco, OccasionallyĀ album merchĀ she was wearing? Is that big, fat bling on her left hand an engagement ring? Internet sleuths assemble.
Itās even more surprising given her illustrious IMDB profile. ZoĆ« is anĀ Emmy award-nominated actor, who also has credits as a writer and director. This is someone who threw Alexander SkarsgĆ„rd down the stairs inĀ Big Little Lies. Weāre talking about Catwoman!
And then there are her parents ā the eternally leather-clad rockerĀ Lenny KravitzĀ and actor Lisa Bonet ā who helped define ā90s pop culture. In a way, she has always been part of public consciousness. And yet, today she is anonymous.
āItās an energy thing,ā she says, explaining why no one is presently accosting us. Weāre now at downtown eatery Dimes, two days after The Big Bowling Reprieve. Sheās wearing a navy crewneck sweater by The Row, vintage black tailored trousers and a waterproof Arcāteryx hoodie.
Itās pretty packed here and the acoustics are terrible ā not ideal for an interview ā but itās homey and sheās comfortable. This is what itās like to be a part of ZoĆ«ās world: chatting with the Dimes waitstaff on a Friday afternoon and washing down salmon and black rice with turmeric ginger ale. āFor the most part, in my neighbourhood, Iāve lived here forever, so Iām around.ā
The conversation meanders towardsĀ Harry Styles, with whom ZoĆ« has been frequently photographed since last August, after a fan posted photos of them holding hands in Rome. Where did they meet? What do they do when theyāre not walking across the Williamsburg Bridge? Is she the light that Harry sings about in āApertureā?
Youāll have to ask him, because her team was very clear about this line of questioning. And it isnāt surprising; ZoĆ« is someone who cherishes her privacy. She doesnāt even have Instagram on her phone (in its place, there is now a language-learning app).
Of course, sheās aware of all the noise ā and it can be deafening. āIām aware itās happening. Iām aware of when itās happening, like when there are eight people outside my house, thatās super uncomfortable. Iām aware of all the ingredients that create the thing that weāre talking about. But that doesnāt mean youāre necessarily OK with it.ā
She finds it too unhealthy to engage with. āThere are moments obviously when you just want to hide because it feels overwhelming and then there are moments when you, whether itās in a defiant way, are like, āIām going to walk and get my coffee and youāre not going to take that away from me.ā
People sometimes ask me, āWhy are you walking around?ā Itās because I live in New York. I live three blocks away. Iām not going to get in a car.ā
I would 100 per cent get in the car, I tell her, but I have a deep aversion to walking.
āBut when the weather is nice? I want to participate in life. Even though the experience is different, I still would rather have that than be someone who completely closes myself off and doesnāt want to walk to get a coffee, because then who are you? Maintaining any kind of normal state, I think, is really important.ā
Despite having her private life routinely scrutinised, Zoƫ feels no pressure to explain herself. Nor does she feel the need to conform to expectations when it comes to balancing her work life with marriage and kids. Instead, she remains pragmatic.
āYou just kind of have to be realistic. If I want to do something well, I have to focus on it. Knowing myself, Iām not going to have a kid and direct movies at exactly the same time. You just have to decide where you want your energy to be.ā