Pop Culture

Zendaya Hoping to Become a Director, Get in Touch With Her ‘Evil Supervillain’ Side for Future Role

The Emmy-winning actress/producer is looking to branch out both behind the camera and onscreen, saying she'd "like to play the bad guy."

Valerie Macon / AFP via Getty Images

Zendaya is setting her sights on different roles on and off the screen.

"I would love to play a villain of sorts," said the 26-year-old in a video interview (below) with Elle when asked about what roles she'd like to play in the future. "Tap into the evil, supervillain vibes. Whatever that manifests in, I don't think necessarily in a superhero sense, I just mean in like an emotional sense."

She added, "I feel like I usually play the good guy, so I'd like to play the bad guy."

Zendaya's aspirations extend beyond acting. The Emmy-winning actress said she hopes to sit in the director's chair one day. "To direct a film, hopefully more than just one, but just doing it," she said. "The first step to actually doing something yourself is not an easy step to take, so hopefully I can get over the fear."

For the cover story interview with Elle, Zendaya opened up about her approach to maintaining a balance between privacy and living openly in her relationship with Tom Holland.

“Parts of my life, I accept, are going to be public,” Zendaya told the magazine. “I can’t not be a person and live my life and love the person I love. But also, I do have control over what I choose to share. It’s about protecting the peace and letting things be your own but also not being afraid to exist. You can’t hide. That’s not fun, either. I am navigating it more than ever now.”

Zendaya's upcoming film Challengers is delayed due to the ongoing SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes. On the horizon are also Dune: Part Two (delayed last week to March 2024) and the next season of Euphoria, which recently experienced the tragic loss of co-star Angus Cloud.

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