Zendaya Says It Was ‘A Little Scary’ Taking on a More ‘Grown-Up,’ Femme Fatale Role in Challengers

The Challengers trailer alone showed a new side to Zendaya’s acting, and the star admitted to ELLE in our September cover story that she did have a little fear taking on the role of Tashi, a seductive, femme fatale character. But she knew it was where she wanted to take her career next.

“I felt like it was a good step into a more, I guess you could say, ‘grown-up’ role and into that next phase,” Zendaya said in an interview conducted before the SAG-AFTRA strike and Challengers’ release date being moved to April 26, 2024. “It was a little scary to take on, which I think is a good feeling. To be like, ‘Ooh, can I do this?’ You could run from that feeling and stay safe and comfortable, or you can go, ‘You know what, fuck it.’”

Zendaya admitted that even she struggled to figure out Tashi’s motivations, contemplating them long after wrapping the project. “I still don’t understand the decisions she makes, and we had so many conversations about why she is that way,” she said. “What was important to me was that she was unapologetic. Sometimes characters who are messy and conflicted and wield power over other people are reserved for [actors] who don’t look like me, so when I get an opportunity to play a character like that, I’ma take it!”

Zendaya trained for three months to play tennis in preparation for the film, and it instilled in her a deep admiration for athletes who compete and perform simultaneously. “The more I had to pretend to do tennis in front of a camera with an audience, the more terrified I felt. And I was not even using a real ball,” she said with a laugh.

Read ELLE’s full cover story with Zendaya here.

Senior News and Strategy Editor

Alyssa Bailey is the senior news and strategy editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage of celebrities and royals (particularly Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton). She previously held positions at InStyle and Cosmopolitan. When she’s not working, she loves running around Central Park, making people take #ootd pics of her, and exploring New York City.