LEAN IN WITH ZAZIE BEETZ

THE GERMAN-AMERICAN ACTRESS TALKS ABOUT REPRESENTATION IN THE FILM INDUSTRY AND THE MOOD-BOOSTING EFFECTS OF CLOTHES.

- EMMA IENZER

You might recognise Zazie Beetz from her role as Vanessa in hit comedy-drama Television series Atlanta. Or maybe you’ve seen her starring in Marvel’s Deadpool 2, or even Todd Philips’ Joker. All to say that the 30-year-old German-American actress has had quite the successful career – and it seems to be just the beginning.

Beetz was recently awarded Max Mara’s Face the Future Award, an accolade that honours outstanding actresses in the industry. Here, she looks back on her achievements – which includes an Emmy Award nomination for Supporting Actress in Comedy Series in 2018 – and talks about what’s to come in the future.

You recently received Max Mara’s Face of Future Award. What did it mean to you to receive it, just as you hit 30?

I honestly felt surprised, really honoured and humbled. Being considered the “Max Mara face of the future” is a big title. It’s an indicator of where the media industry is headed, and I’m glad that people are pleased with the kind of work I’m doing. Overall, what I like the most about Women in Film initiatives is that they take into consideration not only women in front of the camera (namely actresses), but also women behind the camera, such as producers, crew members, screenwriters and leadership positions in the industry. They make sure that all of their voices are elevated. They have been doing it for a long time and it’s pretty visible how the industry has been changing and shifting since then. I think that is what we all aim at.

What is your first memory of the Max Mara brand?