Zendaya understands where the reaction comes from, as she played mostly high school characters up to this point.
“Malcolm and Marie” generated the best career reviews for leading actors Zendaya and John David Washington, but was also criticized in some reviews and on social media for presenting Washington, 36, and Zendaya, 24, as romantic partners. Zendaya can understand why people may be uncomfortable with the 12-year age difference between actors, since his career has so far been defined by playing characters who are in high school (or younger), but the winner of the Emmy told People magazine that viewers need to remember she is an adult in real life.
“People often forget – which is understandable because I’ve been playing 16 since I was 16, you know – [but] I’m grown up, ”said Zendaya in“ People (the TV Show!). “” I knew that as I grew and evolved, that moment would come when I could play someone my age. “
Washington shared similar thoughts on the matter during an interview with Variety earlier this month, saying he “was not concerned” about being 12 years older than Zendaya because the “Euphoria” actress “is a woman”.
“People will see in this film how much of a woman she is,” said Washington. “She has a lot more experience than me in the industry. I’ve only been in this for seven years. She’s been in this for the longest time, so I’m learning from her. I’m the newbie. I was supporting her a lot. “
Washington continued: “Some of the stories she shared about what she went through with Twitter and everything. I appreciated your wisdom and insight when it comes to this business. I admire that. What I’m really excited for people to see when the film comes out – they’ll see how mature she is in this role. We’re talking about versatility, and Sam and Zendaya brought both. “
“Malcolm and Marie” was done last summer, during the height of the pandemic. Netflix acquired the rights to distribute the film in September, in an allegedly $ 30 million deal. The buzz surrounding the project, in addition to strong performance reviews, pushed Zendaya into the race for the Oscar for Best Actress. “Malcolm and Marie” starts broadcasting on February 5th on Netflix.
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