In recent years, it’s become clear that Zendaya has come into her own. Since transitioning from a Disney Channel star to a Hollywood A-lister, the actress has gone on to showcase her impressive range with a diverse slate of films that include the Oscar-nominated film The Greatest Showman, the Oscar-winning action-adventure Dune, the Spider-Man movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and the black and white Netflix drama Malcolm & Marie.At the same time, Zendaya has also continued her foray into series projects, portraying the recovering teen addict Rue in the critically acclaimed HBO series Euphoria. The actress has since picked up an Emmy win for her performance on the show. Following a successful first season, Zendaya also signed on to become one of the show’s producers.
Zendaya Was ‘Starting To Stress’ When She Was Approached For Euphoria
After her hit Disney series, K.C. Undercover, came to an end, Zendaya was looking for her next project. The problem was she couldn’t seem to find any.
“I had a lot of fears, prior to even knowing that this script existed, about what I was gonna do next, what I should do next, and what I was looking for,” the actress recalled.
“I had all of these ideas in my head about what the next move should be, and there was nothing that I felt like I was connecting with. I was starting to stress and bug out because I just didn’t have anything, and nothing was connecting with me.”
Just then, Sam Levinson’s Euphoria came along, much to Zendaya’s confusion, at first.” Essentially [Levinson] said that I was on a mood board for Rue, like he had put me on this thing for Rue,” the actress explained during a conversation with fellow actress Carey Mulligan for Variety’s Actors on Actors series.
“And I was like, 'No he didn't. There's like, no way. There's nothing I've done for you to ever think that I could do that.”
But then Zendaya read and “fell in love with the script.” “I just wanted to be a part of that world of Euphoria,” the actress added. “All of those thoughts went out of my head, and I just knew I wanted to be a part of this project.”
And while Euphoria casting director Jennifer Venditti did consider an unknown actress for the role too, it became clear that Zendaya was really the right person to take on such a complicated character, which the actress loved.
“It’s rare when you find something where you’re like, ‘I can get into this, and it’s gonna be exciting and challenging and hard,’” Zendaya even said.
During Euphoria’s Second Season, ‘It Just Felt Like The Right Thing’ For Zendaya To Executive Produce
Shortly after the series’ impressive premiere on HBO, the network quickly renewed Euphoria for a second season. And this time, Zendaya was no longer just the star of the series. She got credited as one of the show’s executive producers too.
In a way, the actress’ credit was also long overdue considering the extent of her involvement in the show during the first season.
“On the first season, I was already doing it without having the title,” Zendaya explained. “Sam was giving me the space to be creative and to learn, and so when it came down to the second season — and also the in-between [special] episodes — it just felt like the right thing to have it in a more official capacity.”
And while this isn’t the first time that Zendaya has served as a producer on a show (she was credited as a producer on K.C. Undercover) but her behind-the-scenes work on Euphoria appears more hands-on this time around.
“The show has allowed me to come out of my shell as an actress, but also behind the camera, being in a place where there are no bad ideas, and you feel safe enough to speak up and say, ‘Hey, what if we tried this?’” the actress said.
“I’m there every step of the way, even through editing, and that’s really, really special. You don’t usually get that kind of hands-on experience, and everybody is different with how they choose to produce. It’s a labor of love for all of us.”
Zendaya Already Has Ideas For Euphoria Season 3
Back in February, HBO announced that Euphoria will be returning for a third season. “Sam, Zendaya, and the entire cast and crew of Euphoria have taken Season 2 to extraordinary heights, challenging narrative convention and form, while maintaining its heart,” Francesco Orsi, Executive Vice President of HBO Programming, said in a statement.
“We couldn’t be more honored to work with this gifted, wildly talented team or more excited to continue our journey with them into Season 3.”
And while season 3 is still in its early stages, Zendaya already has some plans, including doing a time jump.
“I think it’ll be exciting to explore the characters out of high school. I want to see what Rue looks like in her sobriety journey, how chaotic that might look,” the actress revealed. “But also with all the characters, in the sense where they’re trying to figure out what to do with their lives when high school is over and what kind of people they want to be.”
So far, HBO hasn’t announced the release date of Euphoria season 3 yet. That said, there is some speculation that the network is planning to release it sometime in 2024.
When it does roll out, HBO Max subscribers can watch Euphoria's new season for free on the streamer. Basic HBO Max plans are available for $10/month or $100/year, and ad-free packages are available for $15/month or $150/year.
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