‘Right before the screen test…’: When Zendaya revealed she didn’t know what character she’d play in the $880 million film

Zendaya’s role in the Spider-Man film franchise cemented her status as a prominent figure in the superhero genre. She plays the character Michelle “MJ” Jones in the Spider-Man films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, from Spider-Man: Homecoming to Spider-Man: Far From Home and Beyond. Her portrayal of MJ brings a fresh and modern take on the iconic character, and her on-screen chemistry with Tom Holland’s Peter Parker has been praised by fans and critics alike. Zendaya’s contributions to the Spider-Man films not only added depth to the storytelling, but also showcased her acting talent on the big stage.

Zendaya on her role in Spider-Man: Homecoming

Back in 2021, US$880 million Spider-Man star Zendaya got candid in an episode of Actually Me and answered a few fan questions online. When a fan asked her, “Didn’t they tell you what movie you were auditioning for?” Zendaya replied: “Sort of. We weren’t supposed to know that the script pages we read were for Spider-Man, but I found out it was for Spider-Man because I have good agents. But I didn’t know what role I was auditioning for. I just thought it was the girl from the Spider-Man movie. I didn’t really know what kind of character or character they were going to be, right before the screen test, they were kind of like, “Okay, these are the characters we’re reading for, and MJ is one of them,” and I was like, “Oh, that would be so cool”.

Zendaya on stress and anxiety

While Zendaya was answering questions, another fan asked her if she had any tips for dealing with stress and anxiety. She responded by emphasizing that stress and anxiety are constant factors in my life due to her job and how hard she is on herself. I’m figuring out the best way to deal with this in a healthy way by trying to do things that bring her joy, whether that’s drawing or writing. Sometimes people have to force themselves to do it, but it really helps. She further noted that for her it was like writing down and putting her thoughts on paper and working through them that way. Additionally, simply having someone she can call and vent to simply allows him to enter her headspace, and similarly, the opposite is true.

She concluded, “I think it’s really helpful, but there’s another thing I’ve discovered just by being in nature. So I go hiking and there’s no one around me, just me and my dog.”

Disclaimer: Box office data is compiled based on various sources and our own research. Figures may be approximate and Pinkvilla makes no claims as to the accuracy of the data. However, they are fairly indicative of the film(s)’s box office performance.