Zendaya on what made her "Nervous" about 'Challengers'
Apr 26, 2024
Washington [US], April 26 : American actor and singer Zendaya shared her working experience in Luca Guadagnino's directorial 'Challengers'. She shared a series of pictures and videos from the sets with her co-stars, Mike Faist and Josh O'Connor, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
She shared how "nervous" she was, saying, "A little bts dump in honor of @challengersmovie coming out in a couple days. This is my first time leading a film in this way so ya girls been nervous but everyone's excitement and encouragement has meant the world to me," she captioned the Instagram post. "I'm so honored that I get to do this beside these incredibly talented, brilliant (and hilarious) people and on behalf of all of us, we hope you enjoy the film and again...try not to judge the characters too much lol but also #teamtashi."
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In the videos Zendaya can be seen working out with a bouncy ball and training on a tennis court, O'Connor tries to flip a plastic bottle so that it lands upright, and Faist in hair and makeup. In the last video, O'Connor and Faist kiss a tennis racquet with Zendaya's wig from the movie, seemingly referencing the scene from the trailer that went viral of their characters both kissing her.
Zendaya, known for her role as Rue Bennett in 'Euphoria', has been getting major projects in the last several years. This includes 'Dune' and 'Dune: Part Two'.
She said that before starting the shoot for 'Challengers', she asked Dune co-star Timothee Chalamet for advice about working with Guadagnino.
"He said wonderful things," Zendaya told THR. "Luca is brilliant, and I've wanted to work with Luca for a very long time, and this just seemed like the absolute perfect thing. When we first met about the script he had such a keen, deep understanding of the characters from the beginning and a clearer idea of the kind of movie he wanted to create. And the script was brilliant, [writer] Justin Kuritzkes is so talented and I'm so happy for him. So it all made sense."
The film, which Zendaya also produces, follows her character, Tashi, a tennis-pro-turned-coach, who transforms her husband, Art (Faist), from a mediocre player to a world-famous grand slam champion. When he enters a losing streak, she arranges a challenger event -- one of the lowest-level tournaments in tennis -- between Art and Patrick (O'Connor), her husband's former best friend and Tashi's ex-boyfriend. 'Challengers' hits theatres on April 26, as per The Hollywood Reporter.
