Ruby Rose Reveals Why She Left ‘Batwoman’

Ruby Rose Breaks down The Reasons She Exited ‘Batwoman’

(Update: August 12, 2020) Ruby Rose announced in May she will not be returning to CW’s ‘Batwoman’ for the second season. Now, Rose is opening up as to why she left the DC series, including having to undergo surgery after an on-set back accident in 2019.

“Being the lead of a superhero show is tough. Being the lead in anything is tough,” Rose tells EW in a new interview. “But I think, in that particular instance, it was a lot more difficult because I was still recovering from my surgery. I had my surgery and then 10 days later I went to work, which maybe wasn’t the best idea. Most people take about a month or three off before they return to work, so it was definitely made more difficult by that. But as far as being a lead of a show or a film — regardless if it’s action or if it’s emotional — in whichever ways it’s taxing.”

She also made her decision to leave the show during the Coronavirus shutdown, which allowed her time to look back at her acting career. Rose told EW her decision was not due to her injury.

“It wasn’t so much [the injury], especially because after we wrapped up we didn’t get to finish the real finale because of COVID,” she says. “You know, you have time in quarantine and sort of isolation to just think about a lot of different things and what you want to achieve in life and what you want to do. I think for both [me and the producers], it was a great opportunity to have a dialogue about a lot of things. I respect them so much and they’ve been so respectful to me.”

Rose added how proud she is to have played the first gay lead character of a live-action superhero series.

“I think it was actually a beautiful way to do something, especially since that was the first time it’s ever been done — the first time Batwoman has ever been played in live-action and that she was LGBTQ. I’m very honored to have been able to play her.”

Ruby Rose also added how supportive she is to see Javicia Leslie cast as the next Batwoman.

“I think she definitely knows what she’s doing and she seems fantastic,” Rose told EW. “I think that honestly, I was so proud and so happy when I was told who would be replacing me. I’m just really stoked and I’m definitely going to watch the next season as well and see how it all comes together.”

The CW casts Javicia Leslie for ‘Batwoman’.

(Update: July 9, 2020) Javicia Leslie will take on the lead role in the ‘Batwoman’ series after the departure of star Ruby Rose at the end of season one. She will play a character named Ryan Wilder and will become the first Black actress to play Batwoman in a live-action TV series or feature film.

“I am extremely proud to be the first Black actress to play the iconic role of Batwoman on television, and as a bisexual woman, I am honored to join this groundbreaking show which has been such a trailblazer for the LGBTQ+ community,” said Leslie.

The show’s producer decided to create a new character instead of hiring someone to replace Rose as Kate Kane. Leslie’s character is described as “likable, messy, a little goofy and untamed. She’s also nothing like Kate Kane, the woman who wore the Batsuit before her. With no one in her life to keep her on track, Ryan spent years as a drug-runner, dodging the GCPD and masking her pain with bad habits. Today Ryan lives in her van with her plant. A girl who would steal milk for an alley cat and could also kill you with her bare hands, Ryan is the most dangerous type of fighter: highly skilled and wildly undisciplined. An out lesbian. Athletic. Raw. Passionate. Fallible. And very much not your stereotypical All-American hero.”

Leslie recently finished working on CBS’ ‘God Friended Me’, which ran for two seasons on CBS. Her credits also include BET’s ‘The Family Business’ and feature film ‘Always a Bridesmaid’.

Batwoman is set to return in early 2021. Filming is on hold indefinitely due to the Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic.

(Original Post: July 9, 2020) The CW and Warner Bros. Television is now recasting the lead role of ‘Batwoman‘ as Ruby Rose leaves the show.

Actress Ruby Rose, the star of the CW’s new drama series ‘Batwoman’ is leaving the Warner Bros. Television drama series after one season. The show, which the CW renewed for a second season, will continue with the series and recasting the lead role.

“I have made the very difficult decision to not return to Batwoman next season,” Rose said in a statement “This was not a decision I made lightly as I have the utmost respect for the cast, crew and everyone involved with the show in both Vancouver and in Los Angeles.”

According to Deadline, her departure is not released to the stunt injury she sustained during filming of Season 1, which left her facing paralysis and emergency surgery. Deadline reports she decided to leave the show after looking back on the first season and its challenges. The show, which is shot in Vancouver, was cut short due to the Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic.

Deadline says Ruby Rose was not accustomed to working long hours on a network TV show. “I hear Rose, whose most extensive previous TV gig was a nine-episode arc on Orange Is the New Black, was not happy, and the show’s team was not happy to a point where noone could see this going for another season. It was not a good fit, and the studio and the star opted to part ways.”

“I am beyond appreciative to Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter and Caroline Dries for not only giving me this incredible opportunity, but for welcoming me into the DC universe they have so beautifully created,” she said. “Thank you Peter Roth and Mark Pedowitz and the teams at Warner Bros. and The CW who put so much into the show and always believed in me. Thank you to everyone who made season one a success – I am truly grateful.”

Berlanti Productions and Warner Bros. TV said in a joint statement their commitment to casting another LGBTQ actress for the lead role.

“Warner Bros. Television, The CW and Berlanti Productions thank Ruby for her contributions to the success of our first season and wish her all the best,” the two companies said. “The studio and network are firmly committed to Batwoman’s second season and long-term future, and we — along with the show’s talented creative team — look forward to sharing its new direction, including the casting of a new lead actress and member of the LGBTQ community, in the coming months.”

In relevant news, Warner Bros. TV launches casting talent search for acting students affected by the Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic.

According to Deadline, Warner Bros. Television is looking for acting students whose final year of training and traditional showcases have been delayed due to the pandemic.

Warner Bros. casting department will review all submissions, and a select group of applicants will be invited to submit audition tapes and meet with Warner Bros. casting executives.

The casting initiative is set up to reach out to students 18-years-of-age or older who have had their final year of training and affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and comes when school closures and cancelations of networking opportunities are affecting the dreams of aspiring actors across the country.

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