Ruby Rose gets emotional about LGBT superhero casting: 'I never saw someone on TV I could identify with'

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Ruby Rose to play first openly gay superhero in 'Batwoman'

Actress and model Ruby Rose has been cast as Batwoman in a new series for the CW. She will play the first openly gay superhero lead in a television show.

Ruby Rose got the chance to discuss her casting as the famed DC Comics character Batwoman during an appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” Wednesday. When she did, she couldn’t help but get choked up at the prospect.

As previously reported, Rose will star in The CW's adaptation of the comic book for its connected superhero universe that already includes shows like “The Flash” and “Supergirl.” While those shows heavily feature LGBT characters, Rose, who identifies as a lesbian, will be the first openly gay hero to headline a series.

Speaking to Fallon to promote her role in the upcoming movie, “The Meg,” the star revealed she’s been crying on and off since hearing the news that she landed the role of Batwoman, A.K.A. Kate Kane.

“I feel like the reason I get so emotional, growing up watching TV, I never saw somebody on TV that I could identify with, let alone a superhero,” Rose said through a cracking voice. “I have always had this saying — I mean, not me, Oscar Wilde — which is be yourself because everyone else is taken. So I always live by that motto, and the second motto when I came into the industry was be the person that you needed when you were younger. I feel like one motto led to another.”

Rose will debut as the character during the network’s annual superhero crossover event in December. The network describes her character as: “Armed with a passion for social justice and a flair for speaking her mind, Kate Kane soars onto the streets of Gotham as Batwoman, an out lesbian and highly trained street fighter primed to snuff out the failing city’s criminal resurgence. But don’t call her a hero yet. In a city desperate for a savior, Kate must overcome her own demons before embracing the call to be Gotham’s symbol of hope.”

Rose gained stardom when she was cast in Season 3 of Netflix's "Orange is the New Black." From there she had roles in films like "XXX" Return of Xander Cage" and "John Wick: Chapter 2."

She previously commented on the casting with a brief note on Instagram in which she also talked about wishing she could have seen someone like her on TV when she was growing up.

You can watch her get emotional discussing the role in the clip below.