Odessa A’zion has officially withdrawn from Sean Durkin’s upcoming A24 film ‘Deep Cuts’ following intense online criticism regarding her casting.
The ‘Marty Supreme’ actress announced the decision through a series of candid posts on her Instagram Stories Wednesday night, making it clear that she agreed with fans who had expressed concerns about her involvement in the project.
“Guys, I’m with you all, and I’m not doing this movie. I’m stepping down,” A’zion wrote.
The controversy began earlier this week when it was announced that A’zion had been cast as Joey Gutierrez in ‘Deep Cuts,’ the film adaptation of Holly Brickley’s popular novel. In the book, Joey is explicitly described as being of Mexican descent and Jewish—an identity that many fans felt should be authentically represented on screen. A’zion is not Mexican, which sparked widespread criticism online.
Addressing the situation directly, A’zion admitted that she had not read the novel before accepting the role and was not fully aware of the character’s cultural significance at the time.
“I went in to audition for the Percy character, but I was offered the Joey character instead, and I immediately said yes. I hadn’t read the book, and I should have paid attention to all aspects of the character. Now that I know everything? This isn’t for me,” she explained.
She emphasized that she did not want to take a role that was meant for someone else, adding that there are “far more qualified people” to authentically portray the character of Joey.
Set in the 2000s, ‘Deep Cuts’ follows two music-obsessed teenagers navigating love, ambition, and identity during a pivotal decade. The film stars Cailee Spaeny as music critic Percy and Drew Starkey as Joe, who is Percy’s boyfriend and Joey’s ex-boyfriend.
This film adaptation has already seen significant casting changes. Saoirse Ronan and Austin Butler were initially slated to star in the lead roles, but they dropped out due to scheduling conflicts.
The project is being produced by Eli Bush, Ronald Bronstein, and Josh Safdie, with Durkin also co-producing alongside Anthony Katagas, Jordan Tappis, and A24. Brickley serves as an executive producer. So far, A24 has not announced who will replace Agion in the role of Joey Gutierrez, but his swift and transparent response in acknowledging the issue and stepping down has garnered praise from many fans.