Zendaya Says New Film, ‘Challengers,’ Marks Her “First Time Really Being A Leading Lady”
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Despite Zendaya having been the star of the recent Spider-Man franchise with boyfriend Tom Holland, Malcolm & Marie, Euphoria, and more, none have compared to her leading role in the upcoming Luca Guadagnino film, Challengers.
She marks the experience as her “first time really being a leading lady, if you will,” according to her recent sit-down with VIBE alum, Clover Hope for ELLE.
The Golden Globe winner plays Tashi, a tennis phenom similar to Serena Williams in nature who turns to coaching after being injured and is also caught in a love triangle with her husband, Art (Mike Faist) and ex-boyfriend, Patrick (Josh O’Conner). Hope describes Tashi as “a quietly cutthroat femme fatale in a film with very adult stakes.”
Hope describes Zendaya’s performance as one fans are ready to see from her, even more so than herself.
“I felt like it was a good step into a more, I guess you could say, ‘grown-up’ role and into that next phase,” the 26-year-old adds. “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, f**k it.’”
Though Zendaya still doesn’t understand Tashi’s decisions, she’s well-aware of her character’s psyche.
“What was important to me was that she was unapologetic about it. Sometimes characters who are messy and conflicted and wield power over other people are reserved for [actors] who don’t look like me, so when I get an opportunity to play a character like that, I’ma take it!,” the Emmy winner expressed.
Of her performance, O’Connor chimed in, “I look back on her other projects—they’re all so detailed and different. She’s not resting on her laurels, so for me, the surprise was that everything she did in Challengers felt like a new idea.”
Despite being pulled from the 2023 Venice Film Festival amid the SAG-AFTRA strike, Challengers premieres in April 2024.
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