Zendaya speaks up on coping with the trappings of fame while promoting Dune 2 in New York City
During her weekend in New York City promoting Dune: Part Two, Zendaya opened up about the pressures of fame and acknowledged she isn’t ‘cut out’ to be a celebrity.
On Saturday, the 28-year-old actress participated in a discussion facilitated by journalist Erik Davis alongside co-stars Timothée Chalamet and Austin Butler, as well as director Denis Villeneuve.
According to a Deadline piece published on Sunday, an audience member made a parallel between the threats posed by the Messianic cult in Dune and the status of celebrity renown in contemporary pop culture.When discussing her personal experiences adjusting to her status as a global celebrity, she said, «I feel like, often, I am not cut out for that part of it.»
«I’m really appreciative of my job, and I do love it.» Don’t get me wrong, I adore working on the project, being on set, and experiencing times like these, but I also frequently dread that aspect of it.
Zendaya continued, «I was a shy kid, always have been, so this part isn’t natural— that is a huge reason why fashion became important to me because it became like armor to pretend to go out and do the job.» This was her explanation of how she was an introvert growing up.
«I would like to be a person and for people to see me as that first,» the woman continued.
«I’m not sure if I want to be a part of it or if I can handle all of that,» the speaker said. «Some people enjoy the power that comes with it, so I’m not sure if that’s for me.»
Timothée Chalamet, 28, who plays Paul Atreides in the Dune movies, joined Zendaya. Chalamet’s love interest is Chani.
After that, Zendaya and Chalamet turned to 33-year-old Austin Butler for his reaction, but he had nothing further to say, which made both the crowd and his coworkers chuckle.
Zendaya, a native of Oakland, California, is best known for her role as teenage drug addict Ruby «Rue» Bennett in the HBO teen drama series Euphoria. She has won two Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for this role.
Earlier this year, Zendaya produced and acted in the romantic sports drama Challengers.
Challengers was well-received by critics and viewers alike, earning $94.2 million at the worldwide box office.
Zendaya made her TV debut as Rocky Blue in the Disney Channel sitcom Shake It Up. She started her career as a child model and backup dancer.
In 2017, she starred in her first feature film, Spider-Man: Homecoming, a superhero movie.
In September 2021, Zendaya and her 28-year-old co-star Tom Holland on Spider-Man made their relationship official on Instagram.
