Zendaya Isn’t Sure If She’ll be Acting in 10 Years
It’s been a busy past few years for Zendaya. She established herself as one of Hollywood’s brightest actors after starring in the Spider-Man franchise, HBO’s Euphoria, and the musical drama, The Greatest Showman. But even though Zendaya has skyrocketed to fame thanks to her show-stealing performances, she recently admitted that she might not be in it for the long run when it comes to acting.
Zendaya’s acting career: ‘Spider-Man,’ ‘Euphoria,’ and upcoming projects
Zendaya’s career first kicked off when she starred as Rocky Blue on the Disney Channel original series Shake It Up! in 2010. She also starred as the titular character in the sitcom K.C. Undercover from 2015 to 2018.
But over the years, Zendaya quickly went from Disney darling to critically-acclaimed actor after making her feature debut in 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming. Starring Tom Holland, the movie was highly praised by both fans and critics alike. Zendaya reprised her role as MJ in the sequels Spider-Man: Far From Home and Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Zendaya’s role in the MCU helped skyrocket her career to the next level, which soon led to what would perhaps become her biggest role to date: Rue Bennett in the HBO teen drama series, Euphoria.
Her portrayal as a troubled drug user gained significant critical recognition. And she became the youngest recipient of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 2020.
Since then, Zendaya has starred in Netflix’s Malcolm & Marie and, more recently, the sci-fi epic, Dune. She’s set to reprise her role as Chani in Dune: Part II, which is slated to premiere in late 2023.
Zendaya hints at a career change
During a recent interview with Vogue, Zendaya revealed that acting might not be a part of her future after a fan asked her where she sees herself being in 10 years.
“My aim is to be doing things that make me happy and bring me joy,” Zendaya said. “Right now, that’s what I get to do currently, which is I get to act. And that brings me a lot of joy.”
Zendaya explained that because her happiness comes first, she might consider switching jobs if acting stops bringing her joy. But thankfully, her hypothetical career change wouldn’t take her out of Hollywood or even far from the camera.
“If there was ever a time where that didn’t bring that satisfaction, I would be glad to switch to something else. And whatever that is, I don’t know,” she said. The star added, “hopefully directing.”
Other avenues Zendaya would like to explore in the future
It doesn’t seem like Zendaya is looking to make the jump from in front of the camera to behind the scenes anytime soon. But it’s worth noting she’s previously expressed interest in being a director.
Late last year, Zendaya made headlines when she told Interview Magazine she hoped to direct “a simple love story about two Black girls” one day. She was also supposed to direct an episode of Euphoria for season 2. Unfortunately, she “didn’t have enough time to do so.”
On top of being an aspiring director, the “Replay” singer is already an accomplished producer. She has production credits on several episodes of K.C. Undercover and the 2021 film Malcolm & Marie. Zendaya also served as an executive producer on both seasons of Euphoria. This is certainly something Zendaya could carry into her future, on top of directing or maybe even writing her own movie or TV show.
