Zendaya admits she was ‘nervous’ to be ‘leading’ her steamy tennis film Challengers as she shows off athletic skills with behind-the-scenes photos
Zendaya struggled with a bit of stage fright in her latest role, despite being an Emmy-winning actress.
The 27-year-old Euphoria star – who recently dished the third season of the HBO series – took her Instagram to get candid about the filming of the upcoming Challengers and to share a few behind-the-scenes photos from the production.
“A little BTS dump in honor of @challengersmovie coming out in a few days,” she wrote. “This is my first time leading a film like this, so you girls were nervous, but everyone’s excitement and encouragement meant a lot to me.”
“I’m so honored to be doing this alongside these incredibly talented, brilliant (and hilarious) people and on behalf of all of us, we hope you’ll enjoy the film again.”
The carousel included a clip of Zendaya demonstrating her tennis skills, working out on a yoga ball and running around with her Challengers costars Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor.
Zendaya struggled with a bit of stage fright in her last role, despite being an Emmy-winning actress
The star, 27, took to her Instagram to get candid about filming the upcoming Challengers and share a few behind-the-scenes photos from the production
In the film, Zendaya plays Tashi Duncan, an aspiring tennis player who gives up her career after a serious injury.
She then focuses on coaching her colleague Art (Faist), whom she falls in love with and marries, but finds her feelings dangerously divided after Art is signed up for the Challenger Tour, where he competes against Tashi’s ex-boyfriend Patrick (O’Connor).
The social media shares come after Zendaya recently spoke about filming the sports romance’s intimate scenes with her costars.
She praised the intimacy coordinator for ensuring a ‘safe’ environment on set, said The Hollywood Reporter.
“We had an intimacy coordinator who was fantastic and very helpful because it was important that we felt safe,” she said.
“I talked to my colleagues so we could find a way to feel comfortable. We played tennis together, we went out together, we rehearsed together,” the star continued. ‘We need to build a bond and feel good about each other.’
Faist added, “We were able to spend time together during rehearsals and beyond, especially with Josh. We were able to get to know each other as people before we could get into the movie. A real friendship developed, which formed the basis of the film.’
The interview comes after Zendaya shared a rare insight into her relationship with her boyfriend Tom Holland as she graced the cover of The May issue of British Vogue.
The actress stunned in a tennis-inspired shoot for the publication, as she shared that the Spiderman star has handled his own fame “beautifully.”
Zendaya and Tom met on the set of Spiderman: Homecoming in 2017, but have largely kept their relationship out of the public eye.
About her relationship, she said: “We were both very, very young, but my career was already going along a bit, and his changed overnight.
“A little BTS dump in honor of @challengersmovie coming out in a few days,” she wrote. “This is my first time leading a film like this, so you girls were nervous.”
“I’m so honored to be doing this alongside these incredibly talented, brilliant (and hilarious) people and on behalf of all of us, we hope you enjoy the film again,” she added.
The carousel included a clip of Zendaya showing off her tennis skills
There was also a photo of her fading with her Challengers costars Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor
In the film, Zendaya plays Tashi Duncan, an aspiring tennis player who gives up her career after a serious injury; seen in a still from the film
Tashi then focuses on coaching her colleague Art (Faist), whom she falls in love with and marries, but she finds her feelings dangerously divided after Art is signed up for the Challenger Tour, where he competes against Tashi’s ex-boyfriend Patrick (O’Connor)
“I definitely saw how life changed for him. But he handled it very nicely.’
Discussing her own fame, she said, “You just kind of get used to the fact that, ‘Oh, I’m also one of those works of art that you’re going to take a picture of.’ cool with it and just live my life.”
‘I think growing up I always felt like if someone asks for a photo, I always have to do it. You have to say yes, because you just have to be grateful that you are here.
“And while I still feel that way, I’ve also learned that I can say no, and I can kindly say that I have the day off, or that I’m just trying to be myself today, and I’m not really doing that. have to perform all the time.’