Ruby Rose: "'Batwoman' On The CW, That's My Baby"

Philadelphia (CW Philly) — Batwoman is flying to The CW Philly this fall, and the show's lead, Ruby Rose, is looking forward to the action. Rose caught up with E! News at The CW's 2019 upfront presentation, where she talked about what the superhero role means to her. 

"I'm just like this is the best job I've ever done," Rose told E!. "It's enormous. I think I didn't realize when I auditioned and when I went in for meetings and when I auditioned again and then I came back from China and had the final—I'm like, 'Oh my goodness, I'm just exhausted. I don't even know if I can go into this audition right now.' And I did, thank god. And when I got the role, I was so happy because I love the idea of it."

Rose doesn't take the job lightly, but it took her time to realize the magnitude of portraying The CW's Batwoman. Not only is her character an out gay superhero, but Rose is out as well.

"I love the comics, I had done research, I love Caroline [Dries] I love Greg Berlanti and Sarah [Schechter]. So, I was really excited, as a job, as I would be with any role, but it wasn't until, I think, everyone was talking about it, and everyone was asking me about it, and my friends with kids were like, 'Oh my god, they're going to dress you up like Batwoman,' and then I realized how big it was," she said. 

Prior to Batwoman, Rose had never acted in a pilot, so the idea of a project potentially not being picked up to series was unsettling.

"We were all, like, panicked. Like, 'Wait. What if this doesn't get picked up?' Now, we're so invested, and I'm so invested in Kate and I'm so invested in the whole cast, I'm invested in living in Vancouver now. I was all in, you know? I guess you have to be. And then there's that risk, that vulnerability of, 'Oh my goodness, what if no one ever sees what we just made for the past month?' Because it felt to us really amazing and special, so I think we all felt a sigh of relief when they were like, 'It's getting picked up,'" Rose recalled. 

According to Rose, the time for Batwoman is now.

"Without getting to into it, I think it's so relevant to now. We are telling such real stories, such grounded stories. We have such a beautiful, diverse cast. We have the relationships within the cast, or characters rather—and in real life—the arcs are so true and layered and difficult and tricky in some instances and beautiful in other instances," Rose said. "But they're complicated and they're real...I think that's one of the things that is really important to see, not just like a flawless perfect superhero—which doesn't exist anyway—but I mean the idea of that. It's a little tricky, and I was exhausted emotionally. There were days where I would come home—and it wasn't because I was doing stunts—it's because I was crying or it was emotionally involved in some backstory stuff or watching other people in their scenes. It's very heavy and it's very light, but it's entertainment first and foremost. There's a lot in there that I think viewers can watch at any age group and find people to identify with and get solace out of that or inspiration or just feel like they're not the only person that's like that and that's super important," she continued.

Rose knows that she is not the first actress to portray Batwoman and respects those who came before.

"This is a legacy—I'm just one part of this, but definitely I'm protective of my character, my Kate Kane. There's going to be other Kate Kanes in other places…but Batwoman on The CW, that's my baby," she said. "I'm protective of the cast, I'm like a mom. It's definitely changed my life and we've only shot a pilot."

Click here to watch the First Look Trailer. 

Batwoman will air Sunday nights at 9 p.m. on The CW Philly. Stay tuned for a fall premiere date.