There's no doubt Zoey Deutch could have had a much bigger career. That's not to say that she hasn't had a respectable career up until this point or that she isn't capable of rising to considerable heights. It's just that the Before I Fall and Zombieland: Double Tap actor has purposefully turned down work that could have launched her career into the stratosphere.
While some would criticize Zoey for not taking every and any opportunity afforded to her, others would praise her for being true to herself. While she has done some work she's not proud of, Zoey claims that she's avoided a certain type of role in her career because it's just not right for her. And that role is the typical love interest...
Zoey Deutch Does Not Want To Play The Typical Love Interest
Zoey Deutch is an outlandishly beautiful young woman. Pair that with her seemingly effortless charisma and ability to act and you have someone who is ideal for a female lead in a romantic comedy. As pointed out in her excellent interview with Vulture, there is a lot of Jennifer Lawrence and Natalie Portman wrapped up in her energy. This is one of the reasons she was chosen to play opposite Zac Efron in Dirty Grandpa, was cast in Netflix's Set It Up, and even why she landed a love interest role on The Suite Life of Zack and Cody back in the day. But Zoey told Vulture that she's really not a fan of these kinds of characters.
While discussing her role in 2019 Buffaloed, an indie film that showed off just how versatile, funny, and downright captivating Zoey can be, the actor went into detail about the type of actor she wants to become. And that's not the 'up-and-coming' romantic lead. While she identifies with certain elements of the characters she plays, she tends to focus on whether or not they have drive and ambition. In her interview, Zoey claimed that she doesn't necessarily relate to how the director of Buffaloed described her character; as a "love letter to strong, inconvenient women".
"Do I see myself as a strong, inconvenient woman? I don’t think I identify with that. But I do identify with drive and having this real force and motivation that is kind of inexplicable. It’s totally self-inflicted, and I’m responsible, 100 percent, for being this way," Zoey said to the Vulture interviewer, Rachel Handler before bonding with her about their very similar Jewish upbringings. "My first couple jobs — I did two movies where I was the love interest. And it was really, really hard, because you’re trying so hard to deepen it, root it, ground it into something that it’ll never be. Because at the end of the day, as an actor, you’re just a piece of the puzzle. You’re not the whole thing. So it was exhausting and difficult. I learned my lesson — that it’s just too hard to [play a love interest]. It drives you crazy. You’re trying so hard to make something happen that isn’t going to happen. That’s probably why I have gravitated towards these strong, inconvenient women."
Zoey wouldn't name the movies or shows that she did which caused her to reevaluate the types of roles she was willing to play. Regardless, doing these projects caused her to shift away from the work that Hollywood was throwing at her. Even though many of these roles would have made her the "It Girl" in the business, she chose to stay true to who she is and what she values.
"I’m not going to name names. It doesn’t matter, but I did two [roles like that]. And then I was done. I don’t need to do it ever again. And it isn’t that they weren’t strong female characters. I think they actually were really strong female characters. Being present and loving and full of kindness is very strong to me," Zoey explained.
What Is Zoey Deutch Doing In 2022?
While Zoey hasn't liked playing the typical love interest in the movies, she has been featured in a number of music videos doing just that. This includes Justin Bieber's "Anyone" and Ed Sheeran's "Perfect".
Fortunately, Zoey's most recent work is varied. She's part of the 2022 Mark Rylance crime thriller, The Outfit, as well as in Quinn Shephard's new drama where she will be supported by the likes of Dylan O'Brien and Mia Isaac.
Zoey is also set to star in the thriller Hound as well as in the Shay Mitchell Connor Hines starring Something From Tiffany's.
Aside from her growing movie and television career, Zoey no longer appears to be living the single life after breaking up with her long-term boyfriend, Victorious' Avan Jogia. Not long after things ended with Avan, Zoey started dating actor Jimmy Tatro.
While Zoey's career and personal life continue to develop in positive ways, it's clear that this is a woman who knows what she wants, who she wants, and who she is willing to be for a paycheck.
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