Skip to content

MuggleNet

  • Site
    • Contact Us & FAQ
    • History
    • Meet the Team
    • MuggleNet Live!
    • Press
    • Publications
    • Special Projects
    • Volunteer with Us!
    • Year in Review
  • Podcasts
    • Alohomora!
    • Full Circle
    • LITHAPPENS
    • Potterversity
    • Promptly Potter
    • SpeakBeasty
  • Harry Potter
    • Book Quotes
    • Book Series
    • Coloring Books
    • Film Companions
    • Film Series
    • Hogwarts Library
    • Little Things
    • Music
    • Video Games
  • Fantastic Beasts
    • Book
    • Coloring Books
    • Film Companions
    • Fantastic Beasts Film Quotes
    • Film Series
    • Little Things
    • Music
    • Video Games
  • The Quibbler
    • Owl Post
    • Bathilda’s Notebook
    • The Department of MYTHteries
    • The Dirigible Plum
    • Into the Floo
    • Muggle Studies
    • The Pensieve Papers
    • The Three Broomsticks
    • April Fools’
    • The Quibbler Vault
  • The Daily Prophet
    • Book Trolley
    • Editorials
    • Event Reports
    • Exclusive Interviews
    • Features
    • Giveaways
    • Listicles
    • Merchandise Reviews
    • Movie Reviews
    • Television Reviews
    • Theater Reviews
    • Wizolympics
  • Muggle World
    • Charity
    • Exhibitions
    • J.K. Rowling
    • MinaLima
    • Quadball
    • Studio Tours
    • Theatrical Play
    • Theme Parks
    • Wizarding World Digital
  • Fans & Fun
    • Crazy Caption Contest
    • Fan Focus
    • Fandom
    • Fandom Sortings
    • Fandom Timeline
    • Fun Lists
    • Games and Trivia
    • GNOMEs
    • Potter DIY
    • Potter Weddings
    • #PotterItForward
    • Rosmerta’s Recipes
    • Song Parodies
    • Wizard Rock
    • Wizarding Wordle
  • Site
    • Contact Us & FAQ
    • History
    • Meet the Team
    • MuggleNet Live!
    • Press
    • Publications
    • Special Projects
    • Volunteer with Us!
    • Year in Review
  • Podcasts
    • Alohomora!
    • Full Circle
    • LITHAPPENS
    • Potterversity
    • Promptly Potter
    • SpeakBeasty
  • Harry Potter
    • Book Quotes
    • Book Series
    • Coloring Books
    • Film Companions
    • Film Series
    • Hogwarts Library
    • Little Things
    • Music
    • Video Games
  • Fantastic Beasts
    • Book
    • Coloring Books
    • Film Companions
    • Fantastic Beasts Film Quotes
    • Film Series
    • Little Things
    • Music
    • Video Games
  • The Quibbler
    • Owl Post
    • Bathilda’s Notebook
    • The Department of MYTHteries
    • The Dirigible Plum
    • Into the Floo
    • Muggle Studies
    • The Pensieve Papers
    • The Three Broomsticks
    • April Fools’
    • The Quibbler Vault
  • The Daily Prophet
    • Book Trolley
    • Editorials
    • Event Reports
    • Exclusive Interviews
    • Features
    • Giveaways
    • Listicles
    • Merchandise Reviews
    • Movie Reviews
    • Television Reviews
    • Theater Reviews
    • Wizolympics
  • Muggle World
    • Charity
    • Exhibitions
    • J.K. Rowling
    • MinaLima
    • Quadball
    • Studio Tours
    • Theatrical Play
    • Theme Parks
    • Wizarding World Digital
  • Fans & Fun
    • Crazy Caption Contest
    • Fan Focus
    • Fandom
    • Fandom Sortings
    • Fandom Timeline
    • Fun Lists
    • Games and Trivia
    • GNOMEs
    • Potter DIY
    • Potter Weddings
    • #PotterItForward
    • Rosmerta’s Recipes
    • Song Parodies
    • Wizard Rock
    • Wizarding Wordle
  • FB Cast / News

Love and Lestrange: Zöe Kravitz on Her Character’s Complicated Backstory

by Gayane Kaligian · August 25, 2018

The character of Leta Lestrange has long been shrouded in mystery: We only get a few vague lines introducing her in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and even then, very little is established about who she is or what role she plays. Recent trailers have cleared up some of the fogginess surrounding Leta, but Zöe Kravitz sat down with Entertainment Weekly to shed some light on her character’s complexities, starting with where she stands at the beginning of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald:

We’ve only seen her previously in a photograph from Newt’s office. They’re friends from childhood when they went to Hogwarts. They have quite a special bond and she was always looked at as an outcast, just as Newt was. Now he’s come back into town and learns she’s become engaged to his brother ,Theseus, so that’s an awkward situation.

“Awkward” may be putting it lightly. Though Kravitz stated that Leta and Newt were never romantically involved, the connection between them is still strong enough that her engagement to Theseus felt like a betrayal. Relationship troubles aren’t all that’s bothering Leta, though – her name and blood status carry a significant weight:

Being a pure[-]blood is a big deal. When she walks into a party people [do] a double take. She’s always felt like an outcast because of that and she’s very edgy because she’s used to being judged, and has created a bubble of protection [around] herself.

This falls in line with director David Heyman’s earlier remarks about Leta’s connection to the Lestrange family name – one she infamously shares with a certain unhinged Death Eater:

Leta is in some ways burdened by her name. The fact that she is a Lestrange has led some people to believe her to be a bad person. But as with a lot of J.K. Rowling’s writing, you have a rich complex character, and it’s one that Zöe brings to life.

We’ll certainly look forward to seeing Zöe in action! It sounds like she’ll be subverting every expectation we have of Leta’s character, including Queenie’s judgement of her as a “taker,” not a “giver”:

Newt is such an awkward person he has a hard time standing up for himself; maybe he doesn’t vocalize what he feels and it looks like he’s getting walked on. But Leta is a compassionate person, especially towards Newt. But she’s also a powerful person, a force, and that could become a problem between them. 

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald hits theaters on November 16, so there are only 83 days until we get to see Zöe Kravitz as Leta Lestrange alongside Newt, Tina, Queenie, Jacob, and the rest of the 1920s wizarding world!

Social:

  • Next story I’ll Be There for You: “Harry Potter” Reimagined as “Friends” Episodes
  • Previous story Emma Watson to Join Cast of “Little Women”?

MuggleNet Archive

Important Dates

July 2025

Tue, Jul 1

MuggleNet Interactive's anniversary
Recurs yearly

2004

Rufus Scrimgeour becomes Minister of Magic
Recurs yearly

1996

Wed, Jul 2

Edward Randell's birthday
Recurs yearly

Justin Finch-Fletchley

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets book (UK)
Recurs yearly

1998

Mon, Jul 7

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 movie (London premiere)
Recurs yearly

2011

MuggleNet podcasts are sponsored in part by Secretlab.

Thanks to its research-backed ergonomic design, including a proprietary 4-way adaptive lumbar support system, the Secretlab TITAN Evo Harry Potter Edition will comfortably support you even when you’re up to no good.

Did You Know

Originally, the Weasleys’ cousin who was a Squib was going to have a child who would be a first year during “Goblet of Fire”. The child, Mafalda, was cut and her role was given to Rita Skeeter.

Potter History

June 23, 2011 – Pottermore was announced in a YouTube video.

Potter Quote

“One day you’ll read Hogwarts, A History, and perhaps that will remind you that you can’t Apparate or Disapparate inside Hogwarts.

MuggleNet is an unofficial Harry Potter fansite.
Please email us if you have any questions or concerns.
© 1999–2025 MuggleNet.com. All rights reserved.
Privacy Policy | COPPA Policy | Terms of Use | Feedback


MuggleNet is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and Bookshop.org's affiliate program, affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com and bookshop.org.