New Batgirl Actress Leslie Grace Says Being Cast 'Actually Broke' Her Brain
"In The Heights" breakout star Leslie Grace is our new Batgirl — and the story of how she was given the part is enough to make someone think fairy tales are real and all dreams come true.
The Bronx native revealed to Variety that she got on a last-minute Zoom call with the HBO Max film's creative team for a final casting test, which turned into a sweet moment where the filmmakers asked her to read an email from them out loud.
"I open it and it says, 'I'm Batgirl'... and my brain broke," the singer-songwriter explained to the outlet at the awards show. "It was an incredible moment. When I mean incredible, I mean the textbook definition of, I could not believe it. My brain actually broke when I got the news."
Leslie's casting was previously announced in July.
You Might Be Wondering: How Is Leslie Prepping for the Role?
The three-time Latin Grammy Award nominee has taken to her local comic shop in order to build her knowledge to play Barbara Gordon. "That was my first question—what do I read?" Leslie told Variety. "I'm like, 'Send me everything I need to learn.' I just bought every comic and just starting asking so many questions."
It also seems like Leslie will be hitting the gym and training hard for the role, which we anticipate will have its fair share of fight scenes. "I will tell you this, Batgirl is a badass" she said. "She's definitely going to be fighting lots of people. She'll be very hands-on. She's got a lot to prove."
She also told the outlet her wish is that young Latina girls will be inspired by her Batgirl and feel represented by her work, which she hopes will "validates the dreams of other people who look like me, who may feel it's not an opportunity for them." She added, "I'm just really excited about every young girl who is going to see a Dominican Batichica and say, 'I can do that.' I can't wait."
The film will be directed by duo Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, who are known for their work on "Bad Boys for Life," from a script by Christina Hodson.