Zendaya has admitted she isn’t ‘cut out’ to be a celebrity as she opened up on the pressures of fame while promoting Dune: Part Two over the weekend in New York City.
The actress, 28, joined director Denis Villeneuve and co-stars Timothée Chalamet and Austin Butler on Saturday for a conversation moderated by journalist Erik Davis.
A question from the audience drew comparisons between the warnings of the Messianic cult depicted in Dune with the state of celebrity fame in current pop culture, according to an article on Sunday by Deadline.
Speaking about her own experience dealing with being an international celebrity, she admitted: ‘I feel like, often, I am not cut out for that part of it.
‘I do love my job, I’m so grateful. I love doing the work, I love being on set, I do love moments like this — don’t get me wrong — but I am terrified of that part of it, often.’
Zendaya has admitted she doesn’t feel ‘cut out’ to be a celebrity and is more introverted she opened up on dealing with the pressures of fame while promoting Dune 2 in New York City on Saturday
Speaking about her own experience dealing with being an international celebrity, she admitted: ‘I feel like, often, I am not cut out for that part of it’ (pictured playing Chani in Dune: Part Two)
Explaining how she grew up as an introvert, Zendaya went on: ‘I was a shy kid, always have been, and 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.’
She added: ‘I would like to be a person and for people to see me as that first.
‘I don’t necessarily know if I want or can handle all of that or want [that] — some people that’s part of it, they enjoy the power that comes from it, and I don’t know if that’s for me.’
Zendaya was joined by Timothée Chalamet, 28, who portrays Paul Atreides in the Dune films, while the former plays Chalamet’s love interest Chani.
Zendaya and Chalamet then turned to Austin Butler, 33, for his answer, but he said he nothing to add to Zendaya’s response eliciting laughter from the audience and his colleagues.
Oakland, California native Zendaya 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 work portraying teenage drug addict Ruby ‘Rue’ Bennett.
Zendaya earlier this year starred in the romantic sports drama Challengers and also was a producer of the film.
Explaining how she grew up as an introvert, Zendaya went on: ‘I was a shy kid, always have been, and 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’ (Zendaya pictured as a child)
She added: ‘I would like to be a person and for people to see me as that first’
Timothée Chalamet, shown as Paul Atreides in Dune 2, answered the question about fame first
Tom Holland and Zendaya, shown in December 2021 in New York City, made their relationship official on Instagram in September 2021
Challengers received positive reviews from critics and also resonated with audiences as it earned $94.2 million at the global box office.
Zendaya began her career as a child model and backup dancer and made her TV debut as Rocky Blue in the Disney Channel sitcom Shake It Up.
She made her feature film debut in 2017 with the superhero film Spider-Man: Homecoming.
Zendaya has been in a relationship with her Spider-Man co-star Tom Holland, 28, which they made official on Instagram in September 2021.,