Styling: Amanda Lim
When Navia Robinson auditioned for a part on Gotham Knights, which first aired on The CW in March, she had no idea she would end up playing Carrie Kelly, a.k.a. the female Robin. “The character was called Jenny, and the description was vague. I had no idea what I was auditioning for until I got the part,” the 18-year-old exclusively tells GRAZIA USA.
The action-packed series focuses on Gotham in the wake of Batman’s death and how these young vigilantes try to restore the city which has fallen. Fortunately for Robinson, the DC Comics were a “pivotal” part of her upbringing, which made her familiar with the material. “My brothers and I loved watching the show Young Justice, so it’s been part of me. Once I got the part, it inspired me to dive back into the universe and investigate Robin. I wanted to see how they could influence me in how I played the character,” she shares.
For Robinson, playing someone who has two alter egos — Carrie and Robin — was “kind of a paradox” and interesting to dive into. “She’s both a 15 year old girl who goes to Gotham Academy as a student, but she’s also a dedicated daughter,¸but she’s also this capable vigilante who has been mentored by Batman. I had to think about, ‘How do I make these sets of characteristics into one person?’ That was the exciting thing to figure out. She’s both strong and powerful and also thoughtful and naive, but she’s also wise and timid. I think what grounds her is her passion and playfulness and desire to fight for what is good,” she explains.
Playing the young teenager felt “more natural” to the rising star, but she loved digging into this other side of Carrie that is reactive and worried about the environment. In order to prep, Robinson had to understand how to be part of Gotham. “We’re putting puzzles together,” she says. “I wanted to remember despite Gotham being absolutely insane, and they are on the run. It’s also just their life and it’s what they are used to.”
“My favorite part was being with the people I worked with. I learned so much from other actors and from the crew members and it became like a family,” she continues. “It was super special. I loved working with Olivia Rose Keegan, who plays Duela Doe.”
Styling: Amanda Lim
Since Robin is such a pivotal part in the superhero world, she tries to not put too much pressure on herself to take on the role. “I’m happy to be a little part of that and be representative of that shift,” she says of the character being a female this time around. “It’s exciting and a little intimidating!”
“When I was researching the character, I went straight to the source and the comics and looked at the series,” she continues. “I didn’t look on YouTube — I wanted to stay away from that stuff. I am proud of what I am doing and hope it reaches the right people. I hope people like my interpretation of the character. I was nervous and wanted to make sure I did it justice. I was nervous in the beginning, but I pushed through it.”
Over the years, the actress has appeared on Raven’s Home and Being Mary Jane, calling them both “formulaic shows.”
“One is a sitcom and one is a drama, but they both have a pretty rigid structure you have to work around. I’ve learned from both things to understand the tone of shows better and to not fight against it,” she says. “It’s different preparation for this show.”
The brunette beauty got bit by the acting bug at a young age. “When I sat around the TV with my family, the lightbulb moment went off. I didn’t know acting could be a thing. I just knew I wanted to be on the screen,” she recalls.
Styling: Amanda Lim
From there, Robinson has made a name for herself in the industry. “That’s the best part about being an actor is getting to feel like you’ve lived so many different lives and had so many different varied experiences,” she explains. “My favorite part about doing these different roles is just being able to film in different locations and work with a slew of people in many environments. I would love to do films going forward. I want to dive into more distinctive material and less formulaic than things I’ve done before.”
“Each of these parts have been important to me,” she says, reflecting on prior series. “On Raven’s Home, I worked on that from when I was 11 to 15, and during each segment of time, I feel like a different person. Gotham Knights is the most prominent role I’ve had so far. I am on the right side of history, as I am uplifting young women and women of color. It feels right.”
Gotham Knights airs on Tuesdays on The CW at 9 p.m. ET.
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