Zendaya, 25, sat down with Vogue to talk about her decade-long career, what it taught her, and what she has left to learn. While she opened up about a lot, she completely avoided discussing her reported romance with Tom Holland.
A Disney vet, she says she’s been working a “nine-to-five since I was 13”. She has also competed on Dancing with the Stars, became the youngest woman to snag a lead actress Emmy, designed a collection for Tommy Hilfiger and had a Barbie designed in her likeness.
DUNE
She said she was eager to star in Denis Villeneuve’s Dune, which has earned her rave reviews alongside Timothee Chalamet. He tells Vogue: “I remember meeting Chani for the very first time when Zendaya made me believe that she has been raised on an alien planet, in the deep desert, in the roughest environment. We all know Zendaya is a brilliant actress but I was particularly amazed by the high precision of her acting skills, her intelligence, her graceful patience and her great generosity. She’s one of the most professional artists I’ve ever worked with.”
NOPE
Zendaya is a pro, and unafraid. She refused to kiss-on-screen. “I remember being on Shake It Up and being like, ‘I’m not gonna do this. I’m going to kiss him on the cheek because I haven’t been kissed yet so I don’t want the kiss to be on camera,’” she remembers. Anyway, she’s not out shutting down Hollywood clubs, she’s a homebody who spends her time watching movies and listening to true-crime podcasts. During lockdown, she started painting – her Euphoria co-star Hunter Schafer bought her some oils. “If it’s not f**king Picasso first time I do it, I’m upset about it,” she says of getting to grips with the pastime.
SADNESS
Zendaya admits that the pandemic through her for a loop. The pandemic brought with it her “first kind of taste of sadness where you wake up and you just feel bad all day, like what the f**k is going on? What is this dark cloud that’s hovering over me and I don’t know how to get rid of it, you know?”
DIAMONDS
She admits to the occasional indulgence, including a five or six-carat Bulgari diamond. “This is my splurge, my treat-myself,” she smiles. “I do get a little employee discount,” she laughs shyly. “It feels like it’s gonna be an heirloom, like one day I can give it to my grandchildren.”