2008–2012: Early work and breakthrough , mid 2010 In
Topanga Canyon, Zoë joined local drama clubs and staged shows at her grandmother's house, usually reenacting "Somewhere Over the Rainbow". Her mother encouraged her to watch film favorites from her own childhood. Kravitz landed her first film role in high school, playing a babysitter hired by
Catherine Zeta-Jones's character in the 2007 romantic comedy
No Reservations. She also appeared in the action thriller
The Brave One. In 2008, Kravitz appeared in the music video for
Jay Z's "
I Know" and sang in
will.i.am's music video for "We Are the Ones" in support of US presidential candidate
Barack Obama. In 2008, she also appeared in the family drama
Birds of America and neo-noir comedy
Assassination of a High School President. She began making music at the age of 16. In 2009, she formed and
fronted the New York/Philadelphia-based band Elevator Fight. The band performed at the
South by Southwest music festival and on the main stage of the Roots Picnic in Philadelphia in June 2009 along with
The Roots,
TV On The Radio, and
The Black Keys. Kravitz said in 2011 that her music is a hobby. and was hired to be the lead spokesperson for
Vera Wang's
Princess fragrance. In 2010, she appeared in ''
It's Kind of a Funny Story and appeared in Twelve. Kravitz next starred in the romantic comedy Beware the Gonzo'' as the female lead and love interest of
Ezra Miller. Kravitz was featured in a campaign for fashion designer
Alexander Wang in 2010. In 2011, Kravitz appeared in the
coming-of-age film
Yelling to the Sky. She also appeared in eight episodes of the
Showtime television series
Californication, in which she portrayed Pearl, the vocalist of the
all-female band Queens of Dogtown. In 2011, she also portrayed the comic book character
Angel Salvadore in
X-Men: First Class. Kravitz filmed her scenes in London and performed
wire work for her role, to simulate her character's ability to fly. In late 2011, Kravitz completed work on a film with the working title
Treading Water, which was released in 2013 as
The Boy Who Smells Like Fish. That year, she represented
Vera Wang's new
Preppy Princess fragrance.
2013–2019: Rise to prominence '' March 2014 In 2013, she co-starred in
After Earth. In 2013, Kravitz released a jewelry line in collaboration with the
Swarovski crystal company. She used ethnic and vintage jewelry, and her birthstone,
Turquoise, as inspiration for her designs. In 2014, she portrayed the character
Christina in
Divergent. Kravitz reprised her role in the sequels
Insurgent and
Allegiant. Also in 2014, she starred in the independent drama
The Road Within and the romantic comedy ''Pretend We're Kissing
. Kravitz started the band Lolawolf while in Los Angeles filming The Road Within
. Made up of members from the band Reputante, Lolawolf released an eponymous EP and debuted at the Mercury Lounge in November 2013. and supported Lily Allen, Miley Cyrus, and Warpaint on tour in 2014. The band released the five-track EP, Every Fuckin Day'', on June 23, 2015. Kravitz appeared in 2014's
Good Kill. In 2015, she appeared in the comedy-drama
Dope and in
Mad Max: Fury Road. In 2015, she became the face of Brooklyn-based designer
Alexis Bittar's jewelry line. In 2016, she co-starred in the action thriller
Vincent N Roxxy and appeared in the independent film ''
Adam Green's Aladdin. Kravitz also had a role in the Harry Potter spin-off Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them as Leta Lestrange. In the same year, she appeared in the comedy film Rough Night and the animated superhero film The Lego Batman Movie'', in which she voiced the comic book character
Selina Kyle / Catwoman. From 2017 to 2019, Kravitz starred in the
HBO drama series
Big Little Lies, in which she portrays Bonnie Carlson. For her performance, she earned two
Black Reel Award nominations as well as a nomination for the
Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Drama Series. Kravitz appeared in the 2018 science fiction action film
Kin and reprised her role as Leta Lestrange in
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, in a larger capacity. Also in 2018, she appeared on BBC
Children in Need with
Eddie Redmayne, setting up
Alex Jones from
The One Show, with the help of children who fed them the answers to the interview questions. Kravitz was ranked one of the best dressed women in 2018 by fashion website Net-a-Porter. In the same year, Kravitz was featured on the song "Screwed" on
Janelle Monáe's album
Dirty Computer. She was also featured on "Anti-Social Smokers Club" on
Rae Sremmurd's third album
SR3MM.
2020–present: Career expansion in 2018 In 2019, Kravitz was cast as the lead in the
Hulu romantic comedy television series
High Fidelity, based on the 2000 film
of the same name in which her mother stars. The series premiered on
Valentine's Day, 2020 to critical acclaim with Kravitz's performance as Rob Gorgan receiving praise. Margaret Lyons of
The New York Times described her performance as "mesmerizing", adding "She's so good, in fact, that it's almost impossible to believe she can't find someone to love her exactly as-is." Alison Herman of
The Ringer called Kravitz a "bona-fide leading lady". Despite the critical success,
High Fidelity was cancelled after one season. In August 2021, it was announced that Kravitz will star and serve as an executive producer on
coming-of-age animated series Phatty Patty, bankrolled by
Will Smith and
Jada Pinkett Smith's Westbrook Studios. In June 2022, it was announced that Kravitz would star in and produce the
heist thriller The Sundance Kid Might Have Some Regrets for
Warner Bros. Kravitz portrayed Selina Kyle / Catwoman, now in live action, in director
Matt Reeves'
The Batman, which was released on March 4, 2022, to critical and commercial success, grossing over $700 million internationally. Kravitz's performance received positive reviews.
The Independent wrote that "Kravitz's Catwoman brings an almost-extinct sensuality to the role", and in
Christy Lemire's review of the film—written for
RogerEbert.com—she stated that "This is no flirty, purring Catwoman: She's a fighter and a survivor with a loyal heart and a strong sense of what's right. ... Kravitz continues to reveal a fierce charisma and quiet strength." She earned several award nominations for her performance, including the
Saturn Award for Best Actress.
Time named Kravitz one of the
100 Most Influential People in 2022. In 2024, Kravitz made her directorial debut in the thriller
Blink Twice, a film she also co-wrote and starred in. In May 2025, she collaborated with the champagne brand
Dom Pérignon for a campaign named "Creation is an Eternal Journey". That same year she took a recurring guest role as a fictionalized version of herself in the
Apple TV+ comedy series
The Studio where she earned a nomination for the
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series. She also co-starred opposite
Austin Butler in the
Darren Aronofsky crime thriller
Caught Stealing (2025). ==Personal life==