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Jul 9, 2020 · Date of Birth: June 30, 1987. Ethnicity: African-American. Javicia Leslie is an American actress. She starred as Ryan Wilder / Batwoman starting from that show’s second season. She was born in Augsburg, Germany, to U.S. military parents, and raised in Upper Marlboro, Maryland.
Leslie was born into a military family on May 30, 1987 in Augsburg, Germany. [2] [3] Her family moved to Maryland where she grew up in Upper Marlboro . She attended Hampton University where she appeared in productions of Seven Guitars , for colored girls , and Chicago .
- Overview
- Landing the role of Batwoman
- To Leslie, it's not just about 'one Black superhero show existing at a time'
Javicia Leslie told herself in middle school she was going to make history one day. At the time, she didn’t know exactly how, but she knew she was destined to do something great.
That dream became a reality in 2020 when she took over the title role in the CW series “Batwoman,” making her the first Black person to ever play the character in the DC Universe.
“Batwoman” recently resumed its third season, but it’s only Leslie’s second turn in the female caped crusader’s suit. The series first debuted in 2019 with actor Ruby Rose — who is white — playing the lead, but she left after one season.
“I’m the first Black Batwoman after there was an actress playing Batwoman,” Leslie said. “So this beautiful blessing kind of came from a need for a new actress to play the character.”
“Before I was offered the role, when I first just auditioned, I said, ‘This is cool, but it’s probably a waste of my time because I don’t see them casting a Black woman to be Batwoman,’” she said. “That just doesn’t make any sense.”
Eventually Leslie found she indeed landed the role. After finding out, she was thrilled for just herself, unaware of the indelible impact her casting would have. But her feelings evolved once she understood what she represented for a larger community.
When media coverage began trumpeting her as the ‘First Black Batwoman, she said, “I was like, ‘Oh, my God, this is bigger than just me being excited to become a superhero, or me being excited to even have a role.”
Playing Batwoman demands layered storytelling and season three pulled no punches when it resumed in January. The character’s real identity is Ryan Wilder, a young, gay Black woman who grew up in foster care and recently became CEO of Bruce Wayne’s multi-million dollar company. This season shows her tracking down villainous weapons Batman previously collected that ordinary Gotham citizens are now using to become super villains. Plus, she is also busy tending to personal matters such as her brother becoming her “own personal Joker” and connecting with her birth mother for the first time since she entered the foster care system.
Playing Batwoman is a career milestone for Leslie. Growing up with strong ties to her racial identity grounds her and helps her bring this character to life.
Leslie graduated from Hampton University, a historically Black college in Virginia, and said her experience there confirmed and reinforced what she already knew: community success exists detached from trauma. Growing up in Prince George’s County in Maryland — a predominantly Black area — her teachers, government leaders and classmates were usually Black, so attending an HBCU was just continued exposure to what was possible for her.
“The whole point of going to an HBCU for a lot of people in America is to show those kids that may not have had access, or may not have been able to see such success in their community, to be able to come to a place where it’s (common to see) what they could have and what they can do,” she said. “I had already seen that. So coming there, it was kind of like a norm for me. It made sense to me.”
Leslie is one of several Black actors currently playing heroes adapted from comic books or historically white superheroes. Other actors include Camrus Johnson (Batwing), Cress Williams (Black Lightning) and Kaci Walfall (Powerhouse).
Then there’s a host of Marvel superheroes that are finally getting their moment, especially after the success of “Black Panther” in 2018. A sequel to “Black Panther” is also slated to come out later this year, with Letitia Wright, Danai Gurira and Lupito Nyong’o all set to star.
Leslie said it’s an honor to be a part of this trend and she hopes it lasts, for representation’s sake.
Jan 8, 2021 · She succeeds Ruby Rose, becoming the franchise’s first Black actress to portray the superhero, and will be featured as an avowed LGBTQ central character. In “Batwoman,” Leslie plays the role of Ryan Wilder, who spent years as a drug runner while dodging Gotham police.
Javicia Leslie. Actress: Batwoman. Javicia Leslie was born in Augsburg, Germany. She moved to Maryland at a young age and was raised in Upper Marlboro near Washington, DC. Her first stream of work began as the lead for the television film, Killer Coach. Javicia has continued to work ties with series such as MacGyver, Chef Julian, and Prototype.
- May 30, 1987
Jun 1, 2021 · Javicia Leslie as Batwoman. Nino Munoz / The CW. "Batwoman" is Leslie's first lead role in a major series. She previously starred in "God Friended Me" on CBS and "The Family Business" on BET ...
Javicia Leslie. Actress: Batwoman. Javicia Leslie was born in Augsburg, Germany. She moved to Maryland at a young age and was raised in Upper Marlboro near Washington, DC. Her first stream of work began as the lead for the television film, Killer Coach. Javicia has continued to work ties with series such as MacGyver, Chef Julian, and Prototype.
