Zendaya Reveals One of Her Dream Roles, and We Can *Totally* See It Happening
:upscale()/2019/05/09/749/n/1922398/e1a340745cd45c40a39188.31632369_.jpg)
Zendaya has emerged as one of the young voices for today's culture. Whether she's calling out societal racism or inspiring representation and diversity in fashion, the 22-year-old actress — who recently made a stunning appearance at the Met Gala — 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 is featured front and center as the cover star with photos shot by Tyler Mitchell (the young mastermind behind Beyoncé's September 2018 Vogue cover), but her interview characterizes a cool, down-to-earth young adult 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, 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.
:upscale()/2019/05/09/748/n/1922398/d301d40aaaac0a64_Inside_2.jpg)
- 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."
:upscale()/2019/05/09/748/n/1922398/51474028155fc5f4_Inside_3.jpg)
- 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.'"