Summary:
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Actor Odessa A’zion exits A24 film Deep Cuts after backlash over casting as character with Mexican heritage. Fans criticized her casting.
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A’zion steps away from role as Zoe Gutierrez after learning more about character’s background. She originally auditioned for a different role.
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A24 film Deep Cuts to recast role of Zoe Gutierrez after A’zion’s exit. A’zion starred in Marty Supreme.
Actor Odessa A’zion has exited A24’s upcoming film adaptation of Deep Cuts following online backlash over her casting as a character with Mexican heritage.
A’zion was set to play Zoe Gutierrez, a supporting character in the film based on Holly Brickley’s 2025 novel. Fans of the book criticized the casting, arguing the role should be portrayed by an actor of Mexican descent. The character is described as Mexican and Jewish in the novel.
In a series of Instagram Stories shared Tuesday, A’zion said she decided to step away after learning more about the character, acknowledging that she had not read the book before accepting the role. “I’d never take a role from someone else that’s meant to do it,” she wrote, adding that she “should have paid more attention” to Zoe’s background.
A’zion clarified that she originally auditioned for a different role in the film and was later offered Zoe instead. “I just cannot do it knowing more about Zoe now,” she said.
A24 did not immediately respond to requests for comment, according to NBC News and BBC Newsbeat, which first reported the story.
The decision comes during a breakout moment for A’zion, who recently starred alongside Timothée Chalamet in Marty Supreme, one of the year’s most talked-about releases. The film earned strong box office results and critical praise, further cementing A’zion as a rising name in Hollywood.
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Deep Cuts is expected to begin filming later this year, with casting for the role of Zoe Gutierrez now reopened.
