In a recent conversation with her Euphoria co-star Colman Domingo at Interview Magazine, Zendaya spoke about wanting to direct in the future and what kinds of stories she’d like to create from that role. Already an accomplished actress and producer, she told Domingo that she doesn’t exactly have an outline or plan for when she would like to accomplish certain things in her career, rather that she’s interested in doing “the things that make [her] happy and bring [her] joy and fulfill [her] as an artist, as a person.”
When asked about the possibility of directing in the future, Zendaya spoke with enthusiasm about getting behind the camera, telling Domingo, “the idea of trying to direct in the future excites me. That’s why I’m on set so much. When I’m not in it, I’m right there trying to learn.” Further, she explains that her dream is to “be able to, one day, make the things that [she] wants to see.”
Zendaya then goes on to talk about how she would love to create “a simple love story about two Black girls,” filling a void of representation on the big screen. Most LGBTQ+ storylines that make it into theatrical movies or popular television series are centered around the trauma of coming out, and the love story is often between two white people. The story that Zendaya would like to bring to life would open a door for more kinds of stories about the LGBTQ+ community and for more representation for Black LGBTQ+ voices, and allow for the exploration of those identities intersect through the lens of a coming-of-age story. “I would love a coming-of-age story where awkward and funny things happen, just like when any other young person is trying to figure out who they are,” says Zendaya.
“Our existence is broad and expansive and beautiful, and to see all the different emotional colors of what it means to be a young Black girl—I would like to see that because I don’t think I’ve seen many depictions of it.” Aside from the well-deserved critical acclaim surrounding Moonlight, a 2016 coming-of-age drama, starring Mahershala Ali, Trevante Rhodes, and André Holland, LGBTQ+ love stories between two Black people rarely get the spotlight they deserve. Zendaya is filled with talent, and her passion for telling impactful stories that highlight the human experience makes her an excellent fit for the director’s chair for this kind of film. Zendaya hopes to use her abilities as a storyteller as a form of activism and to make a difference.
“I don’t want it to be rooted in anything other than just a story about two people falling in love and that’s it. Something simple and beautiful, that leaves you happy and wanting to fall in love yourself,” says Zendaya. It’s about time we a love story like this on the big screen, and I couldn’t be more thrilled that this is something Zendaya would like to explore in the future.
Zendaya will soon be reprising her role as MJ in Spider-Man: No Way Home, which comes to theaters on December 17. Season 2 of Euphoria will premiere on January 9, 2022.
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