Credit: Alamy

Zendaya says she wants to find roles “that will push me”

Thu 24 August 2023 13:32, UK

Zendaya, perhaps the most famous woman on Earth right now, has opened up in a candid interview about wanting to take the next step and push her acting career in a new direction.

Born Zendaya Coleman, the 26-year-old began her entertainment career very early, working as a backup dancer and model and landing her first acting role on the Disney Channel’s Shake It Up.

In 2015, she secured her leading role as the titular character on KC Undercover. In 2017, after recording several singles as a singer and one debut studio album, Zendaya made her debut film appearance as MJ in Marvel’s Spider-Man: Homecoming, where she met her partner, Tom Holland.

Since then, she’s gone from strength to strength, becoming the youngest person to win an Emmy for ‘Outstanding Lead Actress’ for her work on HBO’s Euphoria and appearing in Denis Villeneuve’s multi-million sci-fi epic, Dune. Speaking in a recent interview with Elle, however, the actor revealed her desire to seek more challenging roles. “From a character perspective, I want to find things that will push me,” Zendaya explained. “As I get older, you know, I can’t play a teenager for the rest of my life.”

Her most upcoming film, Challengers, sees her collaborating with acclaimed director Luca Guadagnino – and features a considerably more adult theme. Zendaya plays Tashi, a Serena Williams-style tennis maestro forced to take up coaching following an injury.

Also starring Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist, the R-rated film showcases the Euphoria actor in a new light that fans may not have seen before. “I felt like it was a good step into a more, I guess you could say, ‘grown-up’ role and into that next phase,” she said on the film.

“It was a little bit scary to take on, which I think is a good feeling. To be like, ‘Ooh, can I do this?’ You could run from that feeling and stay safe and comfortable, or you can go, ‘You know what, fuck it.'”

Watch the trailer for Challengers below.