Lenny Kravitz Joins UNICEF, Prepares for 'Hunger Games'
Rocker Lenny Kravitz has pledged his support to UNICEF on Tuesday to push for better access to clean water.
"I was born in New York City and have always taken access to clean water as a given," the 47-year-old musician told French publication Agence France-Presse.
The singer-songwriter continued to explain his motivation for teaming up with the U.N. children's agency.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
"That thousands of children under the age of five continue to die every day because they lack clean water and basic sanitation is simply unacceptable," said Kravtiz.
Using his celebrity power on Facebook and Twitter, Kravitz plans to encourage more people to invest in such basic amenities.
Clean water is scarce for nearly 780 million people, mostly in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, while 2.5 billion others have poor water sanitation systems.
Kravitz, who made his film debut in "Precious," appears in the highly-anticipated film "The Hunger Games."
While busy with his music career and often asked to play in movies, Kravitz explained his decision to appear in "Hunger Games" while speaking to Rolling Stone magazine.
"I was offered a lot of films. I just didn't find the roles very interesting- a lot of cliched type of stuff and really obvious things," said Kravitz. "I didn't want to make films because I can. There's no point in that."
"The Hunger Games" is based off the book trilogy by Suzanne Collins of the same name. The series has sold over 800,000 copies and has been translated into 26 foreign languages since its 2006 release, and was on The New York Times best-seller list for 100 weeks straight.
Kravitz will portray Cinna, and described the character as "interesting."
"He's very quiet, he knows what he's doing; he's confident. He's got a big heart," Kravitz added speaking to Rolling Stone.
Fans have been anxiously waiting for the film's March 23 premiere, and the media has feverishly covered filming and production. Stills from the movie have leaked to the press, creating even more anticipation and excitement.
Jennifer Lawrence of last year's "Winter Bone" will play the "Hunger Games" lead character Katniss Everdeen, while Josh Hutcherson plays Peeta, and Liam Hemsworth portrays Gale.
Other stars in the film include Elizabeth Banks, Woody Harrleson, and Donald Sutherland.
