Zendaya has always been one step ahead of the game. The childhood actor had producing credits at the mere age of 16, and now, she has her sights set on directing. Zendaya has starred in the HBO prestige teen drama Euphoria as the series’ titular character and narrator Rue since its start in 2019, and in a recent interview with Vogue Italia, the Emmy-winning actress revealed that she was actually supposed to make her directorial debut last season.
“It’s funny — I was actually supposed to direct episode six, but then I had to act in it,” she told the publication. “I didn’t have enough time, so unfortunately, I wasn’t able to this time around. I wanted to have enough time to do it the right way. So, next season probably.”
This past season, Zendaya’s character Rue hit rock-bottom. After having drug-induced outbursts in episode 5, “Stand Still Like the Hummingbird,” the next episode, “A Thousand Little Trees of Blood” saw Rue attempting to salvage her most meaningful relationships and the bridges she burned.
After the season 2 premiere practically broke the internet, HBO’s ratings for the series shot through the roof with a whopping 14 million viewers tuning in. The premiere quickly became the most viewed episode of an HBO series ever on HBO Max, prompting the streamer to swiftly green-light a third season.
Zendaya and Euphoria creator Sam Levinson have fostered a fruitful collaborative relationship, working together on the HBO series and on the 2021 film, Malcolm & Marie the latter of which Zendaya both starred in and produced, creating the perfect space for the Spider-Man actress to practice her craft behind the camera.
Starring an extraordinary cast of up-and-coming actors, Euphoria has catapulted Zendaya, Hunter Schafer, Sydney Sweeney, Alexa Demie, Jacob Elordi, Maude Apatow, Barbie Ferreira, Angus Cloud, Storm Reid, and Dominic Fike into a different stratosphere of fame and critical acclaim. Following a group of troubled teens, Euphoria navigates everything from drug addiction, abusive relationships, identity, and self-expression in the fictional East Highland High.
As we await an official release date for season 3, we’re excited to find out which episode Zendaya directs.
