Javicia Leslie Wasn't Out to Her Mom When She Got Cast As Batwoman

After a long and chaotic year, the premiere of season 2 of Batwoman is almost upon us, and in anticipation of seeing newcomer Javicia Leslie take over the superhero mantle previously left by OITNB alum Ruby Rose, the bi actress is opening up about when she first got cast in the role — and how she wasn't out to her mother yet when it happened. 

In a recent interview with Health Magazine, the 33-year-old bisexual actress recalled what it was like getting the part of new, original character Ryan Wilder for the second season of The CW's latest superhero series, and how, although her mother always knew and was supportive of her, she hadn't yet formally come out to her yet.

"I was talking to my mom—we had to have a conversation when I got this role because I knew my sexuality would be discussed," Leslie recounted to Health. "She and I had never talked about it. She was like, 'You don’t have to talk to me about it. I’m your mother, I’ve known since you were a child.'"

She continued:

"Once that was said, I didn’t have to speak to anyone else about it because my mother knew me and understood me."

"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," Leslie, who was previously known for her role in CBS' God Friended Me, told Variety in a statement when the news of her casting first broke last year.

Instead of the beloved Arrowverse show recasting Ruby Rose's previous character Kate Kane, Leslie will be playing the role of a new series lead named Ryan Wilder. 

"She's likable, messy, a little goofy, and untamed," a now-deleted casting notice said, describing the Ryan Wilder character. "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, reformed and sober, Ryan lives in a van with her plant. A girl who would steal milk from an alley cat and could also kill you with her bare hands, Ryan is the most dangerous type of fighter: highly skilled and wildly disciplined. An out lesbian. Athletic. Raw. Passionate. Fallible. And very much not your stereotypical All-American hero."

Batwoman season 2 is set to premiere on Sunday, January 17 at 8pm on The CW!