Zendaya spoke candidly about the pressures of fame while promoting Dune: Part Two this past weekend in New York City.
The 28-year-old actress sat down with director Denis Villeneuve and co-stars Timothée Chalamet and Austin Butler on Saturday, led by journalist Erik Davis.
A question from the audience drew comparisons between the warnings of the Messiah cult depicted in Dune and the state of celebrity fame in today’s pop culture, according to an article Sunday from Term.
Chalamet, 28, who plays Paul Atreides in the Dune films, offered to respond first, but joked to his colleagues, “If I start answering, you guys have to start answering.”
Zendaya plays Chalamet’s great love Chani in the films and stays true to her character by saying, “I’ll support you, I’ve got you.”
Zendaya, who was shown off in New York City on Saturday, candidly discussed the pressures of fame while promoting Dune: Part Two over the weekend
Chalamet spoke about former cult leaders, while Zendaya focused on her own experiences as an international celebrity.
“I often feel like I’m not cut out for that part of it,” Zendaya said. “I love my job, I’m so grateful. I love the work, I love being on set, I love moments like this — don’t get me wrong — but I’m often terrified of that part of it.”
Zendaya further explained that she grew up as an introvert.
“I was a shy kid, I always have been, and so this part of it is not natural. That’s a big reason why fashion became important to me. It felt like a kind of armor to pretend you were going out there and doing your job,” she said.
“So I don’t know if I can totally relate to it, but I definitely get what you’re saying, and I think that’s what scares me,” Zendaya concluded. “I would like to be a person and have people see me first. I don’t necessarily know if I want to do all that or if I can handle it or if I want to [that] — some people who are part of it enjoy the power that it brings, and I don’t know if that’s for me.’
Zendaya and Chalamet asked Butler, 33, for a response. However, he said he had nothing to add to Zendaya’s answer, prompting laughter from the audience and his colleagues.
Zendaya, born in Oakland, California, currently stars in the HBO teen drama series Euphoria and has twice won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her role as teenage drug addict Ruby “Rue” Bennett.
Zendaya starred in the romantic sports drama Challengers earlier this year and also served as a producer on the film.
The 28-year-old actress is seen in a still of Dani in Dune: Part Two
Zendaya, who screened in NYC on Saturday, promoted the film with the director and co-stars
Timothée Chalamet, portrayed as Paul Atreides in Dune 2, was the first to answer the question about fame
Tom Holland and Zendaya, photographed in December 2021 in New York City, made their relationship official on Instagram in September 2021
Challengers received positive reviews from critics and was also well received by audiences, as the film grossed $94.2 million worldwide.
Zendaya began her career as a child model and background dancer and made her television debut as Rocky Blue on the Disney Channel sitcom Shake It Up.
She made her feature film debut in 2017 with the superhero film Spider-Man: Homecoming.
Zendaya is in a relationship with her Spider-Man co-star Tom Holland, 28, which they made official on Instagram in September 2021.