The Dune star Zendaya addressed the buzz surrounding her intimate scenes in the new film Challengers.
In an interview with The Mirror, the 27-year-old actress shared her thoughts on filming the steamy three-way scene that has grabbed headlines since the movie’s trailer release.
Directed by Luca Guadagnino, Challengers follows the story of Tashi (Zendaya), a former tennis prodigy turned coach who finds herself in a love triangle with her husband Art (Mike Faist) and his rival Patrick (Josh O’Connor).
The film’s trailer teased a threesome scene involving the three lead characters, sparking curiosity among fans.
You can watch the trailer below:
When asked about the intimate scenes, Zendaya expressed her enjoyment of the experience.
She stated, “The intimate scenes were so good – I loved it.”
“I felt very lucky to be partnered with those guys,” she added.
She praised her co-stars and the supportive environment created by director Luca Guadagnino, who encouraged collaboration and creativity on set.
Zendaya said, “And whatever the moment, it always felt like they always had my back and I had theirs.
“We were so lucky to have a director in Luca Guadagnino who really encouraged us all to collaborate and to bring our own ideas. It was a really exciting creative process.”
Despite the attention surrounding the intimate scenes, Zendaya emphasized that Challengers is more than just a sports drama.
“It’s a complicated, sexy and interesting character piece,” she explained, stressing the film’s exploration of choices and consequences.
While Zendaya felt comfortable with the romantic scenes, she admitted that the physical challenges of portraying a top athlete proved more difficult.
She added, “We trained for something like six weeks, which was pretty tough.
“Hopefully, we did a good job and people won’t be too upset. But I’m not about to give up the day job, that’s for sure!
“Playing tennis was definitely the most challenging part of making Challengers.”
