Zendaya finds 'Euphoria' "emotionally and physically draining"
The 28-year-old actress is set to reprise her role as Rue Bennett for a third season of the HBO drama series, and while she finds it easy to get into character after so long playing her, she admitted the hard-hitting plotlines take a toll on her
19 December 2024
Speaking to Nicole Kidman for Variety's Actors on Actors series, she said: "You get so used to a character. It feels like a skin that you just slip on. Rue just falls into me. I'm not thinking about it so much. It's just like, 'Oh, she's here now.'
The 'Babygirl' star then asked: "Do you stagger out of that experience?"
Zendaya replied: "Yes and no. While it was emotionally and physically draining, it was so rewarding. I was so proud of it. It connected with people...
"We're supposed to do another season. I've only done two, but it feels like five. One season of 'Euphoria' is like, 'Phew!'...
"I still have my Rue scars."
But the 'Greatest Showman' actress refuses to let the show make her "miserable" and has been able to shake off her character's trauma at the end of a day's filming.
She said: "I'm still learning, but I do know that I like to have fun on my job. I don't want to be miserable just because the character's miserable.
"On 'Euphoria', we'd have really, really tough days. I'm like, 'OK, gotta go cry and knock down a door real quick', and then I'll come back like, 'Hey, Cheesecake Factory? What are we getting for lunch?'
"I try my best to leave them at work and go home and live my life and be a person."
Meanwhile, Zendaya - who is in a relationship with Tom Holland - admitted she is "nervous" at the thought of starring in a theatre production and fears it would be too "emotionally demanding".
She said: "I haven't done that yet. I'm so nervous.
"We talked about trying not to take it home with you, and I feel like delivering every day to a live audience, that's a lot of energy coming at you. Sometimes multiple times a day. It is such an emotionally demanding thing to do."
Nicole, 57, tried to encourage the younger star.
She said: "But you're in there together. And the energy of the people who have paid to come, who want to be taken on an experience, that is incredibly invigorating. Come on!"
Zendaya replied: "I know. I know. I've got to rip the Band-Aid off. Maybe one day I'll do it. I'll stop chickening out. One day, hopefully, we can work together. We can have fun and explore."
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