Based on the bestseller of the same name by Liane Moriarity, written for television and created by David E. Kelley, and with the season directed by Jean-Marc Vallée, the HBO seven-episode series Big Little Lies is as highly addicting and entertaining, as it is well done and expertly acted. Set in the tranquil seaside town of Monterey, California, where nothing is quite as it seems, the story follows Madeline (Reese Witherspoon), Celeste (Nicole Kidman) and Jane (Shailene Woodley), and their lives and friendships, as rumors, conflicts, secrets and betrayals threaten to compromise everything between husbands and wives, parents and children, and friends and neighbors.

During this 1-on-1 interview with Collider, actress Zoë Kravitz (who plays Bonnie, the sensitive soul with a strong moral compass who's married to Madeline’s ex-husband) talked about how well the book transferred to screenplay, reading the book before reading the scripts, what she thinks of her character, the dynamic between Bonnie and Madeline, and what it was like to be on set with so many strong, talented women. She also talked about being a part of the Fantastic Beasts franchise and all of the intense secrecy, as well as the type of work she’s hoping to do, in the future.

Collider: When you read this script, was it as addicting, as a reader, as it is for the viewer?

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Image via HBO

ZOE KRAVITZ: I read the first three episodes, at first, but I also read the book, so I knew where it was going. It was transferred well, from book to screenplay, and I knew it was going to get better and better, which it did. There’s such interesting, weird stuff coming.

Had you been familiar with the book prior to finding out about the show?

KRAVITZ: No. It was one of those things where, once it came to my attention, I realized I had definitely seen it in the front of a bookstore or at the airport, or as Oprah’s book of the week, but I hadn’t read it. I read it right before I met Jean-Marc Vallée, before I’d even read the scripts, just ‘cause I knew they wanted to meet with me and I wanted to know what I was walking into. I was hooked. The book is great. It’s the kind of writing that should be turned into a screenplay.

Were there any major changes, between the book and the scripts?

KRAVITZ: There’s not too many major changes. There’s the location, but I think the way that they changed it is great. With all of the couples you see in the interrogation room, they elevated it, in ways. It was very important to Jean-Marc and Reese that there be diversity. In the book, Bonnie is white and blonde. So, they modernized it a little bit, which is great.

Bonnie seems like the most centered, moral and normal person, out of all these characters. What did you think her?

KRAVITZ: She is, in a lot of ways. You’ll see what happens towards the end, and she obviously has her own demons, but I felt for her. All of these characters are written and presented in a way where the audience thinks they know who they are, when they first meet them, but the beauty of the story is that you learn about these characters and they unravel in ways where you realize that you’re judging them. That’s how we are, in the world. You meet me and you’re like, “Oh, she’s this kind of person.” And I meet you and I decide that you’re another kind of person. If you spend time with that person, like you do in this show with these characters, you see that there’s so much more going on with everyone. It’s a lesson in compassion and judgement.

Madeline is a bit high strung and neurotic, especially when it comes to Bonnie, but it’s understandable since she’s the new woman in her ex-husband’s life.

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Image via HBO

KRAVITZ: I understand that. I understand why Bonnie would be a threat, and also be annoying. The nicer she is, the more annoying she is. I’ve been in that situation where I’m like, “Oh, you’re so nice, it makes me upset!” And then, the more you learn about Bonnie, you see that she really is coming from a genuine place and that she’s frustrated because she’s hitting this wall. The nicer she tries to be, the more resistance she’s met with. I’m sure we’ve all been in that situation, where someone has a problem with you, and you’re trying and trying, but the more you try, the more you distance yourself from that person. It’s interesting. Bonnie could have very easily been written as a one-dimensional character. She’s the young, hot wife, and she’s annoying ‘cause she’s so nice, and it could have ended there. But you actually end up having compassion for her and her struggle, and her desire to have fluidity. She just wants them to be a functioning family.

Do you think Bonnie just wants them to all get along and stop the bickering?

KRAVITZ: Yeah, she’s all about harmony. I think she has compassion for Madeline and understands why it’s difficult for her. She’s not completely unaware. She knows that she’s younger and that Nathan is in a different place with her. She’s treating her differently than he was able to treat Madeline. But, she’s not the bad guy. The beautiful thing about these characters is that you see the common ground with all of them, by the end of the story. They really are all dealing with a lot of the same struggles. It’s more about the different ways they deal with them.

What kind of mother is Bonnie?

KRAVITZ: The thing with Bonnie is that she seems very at ease. I don’t think she’s trying to force anything or control anything. The issue that a lot of the other mothers are having is from their need to control everything. That is what sets Bonnie apart, and that might be an age thing, too. She doesn’t feel like she needs to prove anything right now. She’s just easing into motherhood. The relationships she seems to have with her husband, her step-daughter and her daughter seem to be organic. I don’t think she’s trying to force anything or prove anything, or make her daughter the best at anything. It’s more of a relaxed approach to parenting.

Do you think she has friends outside of this group?

KRAVITZ: That’s a good question. I feel like there’s a loneliness to Bonnie. Maybe she moved to Monterey from where she was living with friends that were closer to her age and her lifestyle. It seems like there’s this feeling of being misplaced and an outcast, which I think is part of why she does want to get along with people and be accepted. She knows that she’s the black sheep of this group of women. It seems like she’s chosen her family over being in an environment that would maybe be more comfortable to her.

Did you talk to the author, Liane Moriarty, at all?

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Image via HBO

KRAVITZ: No, I didn’t. I met her once, but it was very brief. She’s been very supportive. She put a lot of faith into Jean-Marc, Reese and Nicole. The heart of the story is there, and that’s what everyone was attracted to. We don’t want to change that. There was something that everyone saw in the book that we wanted to work with.

What’s it like to be on a set like this, not just with great actresses, but who are all very strong women that are very outspoken about their careers? Is that the path you see yourself going on?

KRAVITZ: That’s the dream. Having Bruna [Papandrea], Reese and Nicole, and being around these powerhouse women, not only starring in it, but producing it, being asked to be a part of this was a shock and an honor to me. Also, the way they carry themselves on set, they’re not running around trying to prove that they’re the bosses. They just want to make everyone comfortable and happy, and they’re thankful that everyone is there and that we’re all working together. They just want the best results. There’s so much grace there, which is great because women have to fight so hard to get into that position and sometimes that can result in us being controlling or letting people know that we’re in charge. So, it was nice to see them in charge, but also just thankful and pleasant and kind.

Was this always presented to you as a story that has a definite end, and that it wouldn’t continue on?

KRAVITZ: Yeah, it was. I guess it would be possible to keep going, but there’s such a beautiful arc in this story. To keep it going, you might lose what’s going on. It’s perfect in its form, I think.

You’re also a part of the Fantastic Beasts films, and we hear your role is going to be even bigger in the sequel.

KRAVITZ: Yeah, it’s very exciting! Yeah, it wasn’t much, in the first one.

Have you started shooting that yet?

KRAVITZ: No, that starts in June or July, I think. It’s sometime in the summer. I’m very excited. The one day I was on set for that, and also for my audition process, being able to work with Eddie [Redmayne] and David [Yates] was incredible. The script was very under wraps, so even signing onto it, I hadn’t read the script. I just went off of who was involved, and J.K. Rowling and the Harry Potter films, so I knew it was going to be incredible, especially with how involved J.K. is. And then, I got to see the film, after I was already signed on, and it exceeded my expectations. That was a really interesting experience, to sit back and watch a movie that you loved, and then get to walk out and say, “I get to be in that!” It’s a very cool thing.

Have they told you how much more you’ll get to be in?

KRAVITZ: I think there’s a few ahead. The relationship between Leta and Newt Scamander is a complex relationship, so I think there will be a lot of time for that to grow and develop, which will be fun.

Is it cool to be a part of a franchise like that, where you know there’s a built-in audience for it, but unlike Harry Potter, audience don’t know what to expect from it?

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Image via HBO

KRAVITZ: Yeah, that’s true. J.K. has created an entire world now, that can go beyond Harry Potter. It’s this universe that people are so excited to step inside of. To get the element of surprise mixed with that world is the dream. And the fact that it’s set in the ‘20s and it’s a whole different time period, it’s exciting.

Have you gotten a peak at the script for the next film yet?

KRAVITZ: I know nothing! I have an idea, based off of when I auditioned, but I know nothing. Even when I went to go do my chemistry read with Eddie, he was trying to help me piece together what was happening in the scene that we were reading. He doesn’t get to see anything either, so he was like, “I think based off of this line and this line, and what we shot here and here, this is what’s going on.” We had to guess. It was funny to watch him, trying to piece it all together.

As the projects you’re doing get better and better, and you’re a part of just great stuff now, does it affect how you look at stuff now? Do you have things that you, for sure, aren’t interested in doing, at this point?

KRAVITZ: I don’t like to close myself off like that, but I’m looking for challenging things and really good work. I want to work with great directors and great actors. I want to be inspired on set. It’s not necessarily about being the lead of something, or being the biggest name in something. It’s about who turns me on and who I watch that makes me go, “I want to play with that person!” [Big Little Lies] was a great example of that, working with a director whose work I’ve seen and loved, and actresses who I’ve been watching forever, and that I love and admire. I want to keep doing that. I want to play with people who inspire me and challenge me.

You strike me as someone who doesn’t want to be stuck in a box, in any way.

KRAVITZ: No, but there’s a double-edged sword to not fitting in to what is considered to be normal, a leading lady, or all-American. There’s a beauty in that because you can slip through the cracks and get these opportunities where you can find yourself in any situation. Someone like me isn’t imagined for almost any role, so when I get a role, it can be anything, and there’s a beauty in that.

Big Little Lies airs on Sunday nights on HBO.

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