“I can’t play a teenager for the rest of my life”: Zendaya Frustrated With Her Movie Roles After Fame From Tom Holland’s Spider-Man Movies
Zendaya has emerged as one of the greatest actors of this generation. The two-time Emmy winner has garnered a lot of praise and fans for her craft. At only 26, she has proved her mettle as an actor.
Her most notable role is of a teenage drug addict Rue in HBO’s drama Euphoria. The nuances portrayed by her of a character as fascinatingly complex as Rue was a hit with critics. Another of her most popular characters is MJ from Spider-Man. The films are easily Zendaya’s most commercially successful projects.
The aforementioned two characters are what the Hollywood actress is known for. Both are teenage characters. Now, she has reached a place in her career where she wants to experiment.
Zendaya Wants to Get Out of Her Comfort Zone
Zendaya expressed her concerns about getting pigeonholed as an actress in an interview with Elle. She said:
“I can’t play a teenager for the rest of my life.”
It is very easy to become an actor who only plays a certain type of character. Many choose to do so for various reasons. Either it’s for the commercial success of their projects, career stability because Hollywood is a fickle industry or that’s what their fans love the most.
Read More: “Married with a Kid”: Zendaya Takes on Another Big Challenge That Would Leave Her Fans Speechless
The Malcolm and Marie actress has reached the level of success where these things do not affect her career choices as much. Working from a young age, she has been successful in a variety of projects and garnered a loyal fanbase. These things bring a sense of comfort that satisfies one for some time, only to later fill with the desire for more. Now the Hollywood actress wants to explore and get uncomfortable.
She is looking for challenges. Characters she hasn’t played before. Themes she hasn’t tapped into. The actress wants to dabble in the darker nuances of her craft.
“I would love to play a villain of sorts. Tap into that evil, supervillain vibe. Whatever that manifests in, I don’t think necessarily in a superhero sense but in an emotional sense. I feel like I usually play the good guy, so I’d like to play the bad guy.”
The actress is pushing herself to do more:
“From a character perspective, I want to find things that will push me. As I get older, you know. I can’t play a teenager for the rest of my life. I felt like it was a good step into a more, I guess you could say, “grown-up” role and into that next phase. It was a little bit scary to take on, which I think is a good feeling.”
Zendaya on Challengers
Zendaya’s character in Challengers is just what the actor has been looking for. Taking on the role of Tashi Duncan, not only aligned with with the choices she wanted to make but the character meant something more. The actress reflected on how these characters are not often played by people of color.
“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 that!”
This is Zendaya’s first complex, adult role, and fans are excited to see what she brings to the table.
Challengers will hit theatres on April 26, 2024.
Source: Elle
