The movie Zendaya claimed to watch at least once a day: “It’s just calming to me”
The idea of a guilty pleasure shouldn’t be a thing given the current state of the world, but many people find themselves resorting to secret joys to alleviate the stress of modern life. Whether it be a private yearly rewatch of a film you know to be terrible but somehow induces a disgusting amount of serotonin or a repeat viewing of the Twilight series whenever the weather gets a little gloomy, the mind can be soothed in ways that we cannot understand through the power of the big screen.
However, we can sometimes find ourselves a little too absorbed by imaginary worlds and characters, something that many filmmakers and artists can relate to after devoting their lives to the very medium that both comforts and disturbs us. This is something that Zendaya deeply connects to, citing the impact of one franchise in particular that she regularly returns to.
Although Zendaya has a personal love for comfort films, she has forged a reputation based on her knack for playing characters that are in deeply distressing and uncomfortable situations. From the explosive arrival of Euphoria and her portrayal of a teenage drug addict to her upcoming film with Kristoffer Borgli, who is somewhat of an expert in disturbing his audiences, the actor has curated an impressive body of work that impressively deviates from the light-hearted nature of her early roles as a Disney child star.
But while she seems to be drawn to darker and more unconventional characters, she has discussed her love for the indefinable comfort of the Harry Potter series, which remains as one of the most beloved franchises of all time.
The story of ‘The Boy Who Lived’ has resonated with audiences all over the world, with the infamous trio of misfits and their adventures at Hogwarts becoming a staple part of many of our childhoods, with many experiencing a crushing disappointment at not being sent a Hogwarts letter on their twelfth birthday.
While many people love the films, perhaps not as much as Zendaya, who revealed that she watches it as often as once a day. When discussing this, she said, “Everyone has their own thing, like a form of meditation or whatever. Me, I find it very hard to just sit there and clear my brain. People say I’m crazy, but I watch Harry Potter, like, once a day. It’s just calming to me, so that’s my thing. People are like, ‘Oh my god, Harry Potter again?’ I say, ‘Don’t come over to my house if you don’t want to watch it, because it’s going to be on.’”
Some might see this as slightly excessive, but when playing roles as demanding as Zendaya, you would arguably need more time for rest and recovery in order to switch back into such distressing head spaces. In Euphoria alone, the actor is seen bashing doors down and engaging in long screaming matches with her mother, with many praising her for her emotional versatility and dedication. If any of us were starring in films like Zendaya, maybe we would all develop similar viewing habits.
