Zendaya Reveals One of Her Dream Roles, and We Can *Totally* See It Happening

Zendaya [1] has emerged as one of the young voices for today's culture. Whether she's calling out societal racism [2] or inspiring representation and diversity in fashion [3], the 22-year-old actress — who recently made a stunning appearance at the Met Gala [4] — has used her platform to bring awareness to social justice for years. Still, she shies away from being called an activist. In Vogue's June issue, Zendaya [5] is featured front and center [6] as the cover star with photos shot by Tyler Mitchell (the young mastermind behind Beyoncé's September 2018 Vogue cover [7]), but her interview characterizes a cool, down-to-earth young adult [8] who's just finding her way.

In addition to talking about (not) being an activist, Zendaya also discusses her role in HBO's upcoming series Euphoria [9], her future plans for herself, and the historical figure she wouldn't mind portraying in a film one day. Read on to see some of her standout quotes from her chat with writer Maya Singer.

On playing the character Rue on Euphoria: "It's a totally different thing than being the star of K.C. Undercover. That first day on set, I was honest-to-God terrified."
On one of her dream roles: "I definitely want more work by young black artists. And yeah, maybe I wouldn't mind playing Angela Davis in a movie one day."
On bringing awareness to gentrification in Oakland: "I keep thinking, Is there a way I can help with this, through art? I mean, obviously, I've got a platform, but I also know, don't just post whatever. You've got to listen to people. Talking is important, but walking the talk is important, too."

On playing the character Rue on Euphoria [10]: "It's a totally different thing than being the star of K.C. Undercover. That first day on set, I was honest-to-God terrified."
On one of her dream roles: "I definitely want more work by young black artists. And yeah, maybe I wouldn't mind playing Angela Davis in a movie one day."
On bringing awareness to gentrification in Oakland: "I keep thinking, Is there a way I can help with this, through art? I mean, obviously, I've got a platform, but I also know, don't just post whatever. You've got to listen to people. Talking is important, but walking the talk is important, too."

On being called an activist: "It's nice, but I'm not. What I'd really like is to reach out to my peers in the Bay Area. Like, there are kids I was in elementary school with, who are out there doing the work . . . organizing. Maybe they can help me figure out what to do."
On a celebrity she admires: "I can tell you, one celebrity whose career I think is interesting is Donald Glover. He's given himself permission to do whatever. And whatever he does, he goes deep, you know?"
On receiving a tarot reading when she was younger: "Apparently, my aura is mostly purple, which signals that you're creative. And then there was a little bit of green, which is like, practical stuff, business. Now, I have no idea whether this is true, but according to my grandparents, the guy who did the reading, he stared at my photo for a long time — a long time. And then he looked up and he told them: 'This girl, for your whole life — she's going to amaze you.'"

On being called an activist: "It's nice, but I'm not. What I'd really like is to reach out to my peers in the Bay Area. Like, there are kids I was in elementary school with, who are out there doing the work . . . organizing. Maybe they can help me figure out what to do."
On a celebrity she admires: "I can tell you, one celebrity whose career I think is interesting is Donald Glover. He's given himself permission to do whatever. And whatever he does, he goes deep, you know?"
On receiving a tarot reading when she was younger: "Apparently, my aura is mostly purple, which signals that you're creative. And then there was a little bit of green, which is like, practical stuff, business. Now, I have no idea whether this is true, but according to my grandparents, the guy who did the reading, he stared at my photo for a long time — a long time. And then he looked up and he told them: 'This girl, for your whole life — she's going to amaze you.'"

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Zendaya Reveals One of Her Dream Roles, and We Can Totally See It Happening