Black actresses usually straighten their hair or wear wigs and weaves for a role, but Zazie Beetz is breaking that mold.
Beetz wears her hair in a voluminous afro, and her crown attracts a lot of attention.
“So many women come up to me, like, ‘Oh, my God, that’s me!’” the Atlanta starlet told Vogue. “That’s what has been wonderful about Atlanta. It’s allowed me to celebrate my identity.”
Atlanta showrunner Donald Glover expressed similar sentiments.
“Zazie’s hair isn’t straightened, and I wanted her to relate to Van as much as possible,” Glover told Vogue. “Plus, you don’t see it enough.”
The 26-year-old actress revels in being shot braiding her hair and putting them in Bantu knots while filming 'Atlanta.'
Beetz recently landed a role in the highly anticipated "Deadpool 2" as antihero Domino, who is based on a comic book character. The original character was white with straight, black hair but director David Leitch also wanted Beetz to leave her hair in its natural state.
“I was shocked,” she said. “For David and Ryan [Reynolds], my hair being bold and strong helps Domino come across as bold and strong.”
Like many naturals, Beetz has dealt with a few unpleasant situations because of her look.
“My teachers asked if it was a wig, and strangers on the street came up and touched my hair,” she said. She also had run-ins with casting directors who would tell her, “'All right, love your hair, but try to keep it more CBS.’"
If acting doesn’t work out for Beetz, she has a potential side hustle: mixing hair products. For her nightly routine she mixes jojoba oil, coconut oil, olive oil, shea butter, vitamin E and vanilla extract to make a hair cream.
“I throw everything in a bowl and blend it until it’s fluffy and wonderful,” she shared. “My boyfriend says I should sell it.”
Thankfully, Beetz has nothing to worry about because she’s still snagging roles. Her next project is a horror film, "Slice," with Chance the Rapper. Her hair will remain in an afro for this role, too.
“It’s incredibly freeing to be able to show people that this is a viable way to wear your hair—on-screen and in the world,” she concludes. “Doors are opening.”