Written by Eve Katz, Image sourced from SCAD aTVFest
Javicia Leslie attended SCAD’s ninth annual aTVFest as the recipient of the Rising Star Award in recognition of her role as the new face of The CW’s “Batwoman.” The show first premiered in Oct. 2019 with leading actress Ruby Rose playing Kate Kane, the DC Comics character who takes on the alter ego of Batwoman. Rose made history as the first woman to play a lesbian title character in a superhero show, but unfortunately left the show after its first season. This is where Leslie comes in.
Leslie will be playing a brand new character, Ryan Wilder, a fresh addition to The CW’s universe of DC superheroes and a rare example of a hero with no comic book counterpart. Thus, Leslie had a lot of creative freedom in exploring her character. “The crew and cast were so welcoming and allowed me to really explore Ryan in their world,” said Leslie.
The significance of her character adding diversity to the superhero genre is not lost on Leslie. “To be a part of that history, to know that there is officially a person of color that is in this suit, it’s really a blessing, it feels really powerful,” said Leslie, “our kids see this, we didn’t get to but our kids will see this. Turning the TV on and seeing a Black person in a cape in general, there wasn’t a lot of that in my childhood.”
Many different communities are able to see characters more like themselves appear in films and TV as the push for diversity helps open roles for a wider range of actors. “Now [superheroes] are becoming more diverse, and not just Black, our Queer community, our Latin community, now that it’s becoming more diverse I feel like our superheroes are more of a reflection of our community,” said Leslie.
This is just the beginning of Leslie’s journey as Ryan Wilder, and she expressed that she tries to show behind the scenes photos and videos for her fans as often as she can, as she wants to share her journey as Ryan with them as much as possible.
Leslie spoke on what she feels are the key ways to become successful in the film and television industry, emphasizing passion and sincerity. “It’s all about making sure that you’re giving the best of yourself that you could possibly give, and the way that you do that, is you become obsessed with your craft, you find your voice in the world that you’re existing in and you perfect that,” said Leslie, “I think that when you figure out what your voice, you nurse that, you protect it, you stand by it, you don’t allow someone to tell you that you’re wrong when you know that the perspective you’re coming from is supported and it’s based in truth and groundedness.”
The beginning of Leslie’s journey as Ryan Wilder on “Batwoman” can be watched on The CW. “I just love that it’s the beginning of something, it’s a beginning of a much needed shift in the world of comics,” Leslie said, “The suit can be worn by anyone, it’s really about the character, it’s about the heart, it’s about the integrity. Our show is show is filled with people who are filled with integrity, it makes the show what it is, you can feel it.”
