Is Odessa A'zion Latina? Her Ethnicity, Background, and 'Deep Cuts' Casting Controversy Explained

As Odessa A'zion's profile continues to rise, so has public curiosity about her background, particularly after her brief casting in Deep Cuts ignited a debate around the lack of representation in Hollywood.

The controversy has also raised a specific question about Odessa A'zion's ethnicity, especially after she was cast as a Latina in the upcoming project, which she ultimately decided to drop out of after the backlash.

Who Is Odessa A'zion?

Born Odessa Zion Segall Adlon on 17 June 2000, A'zion is a 25-year-old actress known for intense, character-driven roles. She gained early attention with Netflix's Grand Army and later starred in Hellraiser (2022).

More recent projects include Marty Supreme and Rachel Sennott's I Love LA, positioning her as a rising presence in indie and prestige film circles.

She also comes from a well-known Hollywood family. Her mother is Pamela Adlon, the Emmy-winning creator of Better Things and the longtime voice of Bobby Hill on King of the Hill. Her father, Felix O. Adlon, is a German writer and director, and her grandfather, Percy Adlon, was a major figure in New German Cinema.

Is Odessa A'zion Latina?

Despite widespread speculation online, A'zion is not Latina or Mexican.

According to family records and long-standing biographical sources, her background is a mix of Ashkenazi Jewish and European heritage. On her mother's side, she is primarily Ashkenazi Jewish, with ancestry tracing back to Ukrainian-Jewish roots. Her maternal grandmother was English-born and later converted to Judaism. Her father's side is German.

A'zion was raised Jewish and has spoken openly about her identity. Her middle name, Zion, reflects that upbringing, though she has also publicly clarified that she does not identify as a Zionist.

She reportedly spent parts of her childhood between Los Angeles, Boston, and Germany — a background that has sometimes contributed to assumptions about her ethnicity but does not include Latin American heritage.

Why Deep Cuts Casting Sparked Backlash

The conversation escalated in late January after A24 announced A'zion had been cast as Zoe Gutierrez in Deep Cuts, an adaptation of Holly Brickley's novel directed by Sean Durkin.

In the book, Zoe Gutierrez is explicitly written as half-Mexican and half-Jewish, with her Mexican heritage shaping her family relationships, friendships, and emotional arc. For many readers, that specificity was central to the character and to the story's exploration of identity.

When the casting news broke, backlash followed almost immediately across social media. Critics argued that casting a non-Latina actress in the role amounted to erasing Latina representation, particularly for a character whose cultural background is not incidental.

Some also pointed to reports that the screenplay had softened or removed explicit references to Zoe's Mexican heritage, further intensifying concerns about whitewashing.

Odessa A'zion's Response and Exit

Within roughly 48 hours of the announcement, A'zion addressed the controversy directly on Instagram Stories.

She explained that she had originally auditioned for a different role and accepted the part of Zoe without having read the novel. After learning more about the character and the concerns surrounding her casting, she announced she was stepping away from the project entirely.

'I am with all of you,' she wrote, adding that once she understood the context, she no longer felt comfortable moving forward. Her decision to exit was widely reported and drew praise from many critics who viewed it as an example of accountability and responsiveness.

Neither A24 nor director Sean Durkin has issued a formal statement, and no replacement casting has been announced yet. The episode has since become part of a broader industry conversation — not only about Latina representation, but about casting mixed-heritage characters and adaptation choices.

Originally published on IBTimes UK