Zendaya was featured on Deadline’s Virtual House to discuss the HBO drama series Euphoria and her overall perspective about being a part of the pensive show was that she’s grateful.
Euphoria has been nominated for six Emmys and renewed for a second season. Created by Sam Levinson, Euphoria follows the journey of high schoolers as they navigate the growing pains of teenage angst amid the pressures of drugs, sex and everything in between.
Zendaya (Spider-Man: Far from Home) leads the cast playing the protagonist role of Rue Bennett, alongside a glimmering ensemble that includes Maude Apatow (Hollywood), Angus Cloud (North Hollywood), Eric Dane (The Last Ship), Storm Reid (A Wrinkle in Time), Algee Smith (The New Edition Story) and Nika King (Greenleaf).
When asked how did she find the depth and layers to play the role of 17-year-old Rue, a recovering drug addict, she attributed the relatable aura of the character to human emotion. “Pain is pain, sadness is sadness, happiness is happiness,” Zendaya said. “Euphoria has definitely taught me to allow myself to feel.”
Although the “All for Us” singer found it slightly vulnerable to expose emotional parts of herself in front of the camera and to a group of people on the set, Zendaya felt comfortable enough because of the authenticity of the story and characters involved.
Despite the delicate nuances of that part of her job, Zendaya’s biggest challenge arose playing Rue Bennett when she had to portray the character’s addiction, although she had not personally experience the paradigm of drug abuse herself.
In order to get in the thinking zone of Rue, Zendaya had to find the similarities she shared with the character and work toward the greater lesson of it all; that we are not alone when we go through something in life.
The beaming actress appeared to become energized when recapturing the moment she realized the series was a hit. As she watched the cut of the pilot while working on Spiderman: Far from Home in London, she had a moment.
“Yo, this is a go!” Zendaya excitedly said. “Because I’ve always been a fan of camera work and cinematography — but never this sucked in by it — There’s a scene of me riding my bike through the alleyway. As I was riding my bike, I was like this is beautiful I felt like I was riding through a dream.”
One fun fact that she revealed was that the hair and makeup for the cast is intentionally tracked to match the mood and emotional phase of the character. In similar fashion, the music is the pulse of the show, morphing an ordinary teenage situation to something more vivid and temperamental and what some deem more appropriate for adults.
“I listen to the Euphoria soundtrack my damn self,” she said about the music used on the show.
The interview ended with the host concluding that “Euphoria is not a show, it’s a mood.” His words couldn’t be truer.
The premiere of Euphoria’s second season has yet to be announced as a result of COVID-19 induced production breaks. However, it appears that season two is definitely on the horizon and Zendaya will definitely be a part of it!
