“I was not even using a real ball”: Zendaya Exposes a Disappointing Secret About Her Upcoming Movie ‘Challengers’
The American actor Zendaya is one of the most well-known names on the list of exceptional up-and-coming stars in the Hollywood industry. She has been part of various successful ventures and showed her versatility as an actor. From starting acting as a child, the 26-year-old has amassed brilliant filmographies under her name. She has been part of the MCU, playing the loving interest of Tom Holland’s Spider-Man.
Zendaya was praised for her performance in Sam Levinson-directed drama Euphoria. The actress is currently making headlines for her upcoming project, Challengers. In the sports drama, the Spider-Man star plays a bold character. In an interview, Zendaya discussed the challenges faced while playing the character and revealed some shocking details about the film.
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Zendaya Reveals the Challenges of Challengers
Zendaya is discussing her first time being a leading lady in the upcoming film Challengers. The 26-year-old actress revealed in an interview for ELLE conducted before the SAG-AFTRA strike about the challenges she faced while taking up the role. During the interview, the Euphoria star also revealed a disappointing detail of the film.
The Luca Guadagnino-directed sports drama is based on a former Tennis star turned coach, Tashi, played by Zendaya. The actress confessed she hesitated to take the role of a seductive, femme fatale character in the sports drama. But eventually agreed to play the character to take her career to the next level.
The Spider-Man star said,
“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. 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*ck it.”
She acknowledged that even she found it difficult to understand Tashi’s intentions, thinking about them for a long time after the production was over.
Zendaya further revealed she felt terrified while pretending to play tennis in front of the crew, but claimed they didn’t use a real ball. She said,
“The more I had to pretend to do tennis in front of a camera with an audience, the more terrified I felt. And I was not even using a real ball. I’m just doing the form and footwork and getting my swing right and doing it in front of a whole bunch of people as if it’s the U.S. Open, and I’m terrified.”
The actress dedicated an extensive three-month period to training to portray a tennis player for her role in the film. Despite that, she just pretended to play the game, and that too, with not a real ball, sounds disappointing.
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Everything to know about Zendaya’s Challengers
Zendaya, a well-known and versatile actress, has once again captured fans with her upcoming project. In a surprising and welcome shift, the 26-year-old has taken on a complex character in the eagerly awaited film Challengers.
The sports drama, directed by Luca Guadagnino, centers on Zendaya’s character, Tashi, a former tennis player, who is now a coach, and how she helps Mike Faist’s character, Art, go from being a poor player to winning the Grand Slam.
It’s a moving tale that emphasizes the value of moving forward in the face of setbacks and refusing to let your past prevent you from reaching your full potential. The film stars the Euphoria actress alongside the talented Mike Faist and the charismatic Josh O’Connor.
The film, directed by Luca Guadagnino, was originally scheduled for release in 2023, however, it has been pushed to next year.
Challengers is scheduled to release on April 26, 2024.
Source: ELLE
