Zendaya says she is not sure is she 'can handle' fame: 'I am terrified'

Zendaya is opening up about the pressures of fame. The Hollywood star, who has found success in recent years in film and television, receiving accolades for her performances and fashion moments, including her multiple Emmy wins, Golden Globe, and the CFDA Fashion Icon Award in 2021, is sharing her thoughts about becoming a public figure. 

“I feel like, often, I am not cut out for that part of it. I do love my job, I’m so grateful. I love doing the work, I love being on set, I do love moments like this — don’t get me wrong — but I am terrified of that part of it, often," the actress said during a screening of 'Dune: Part Two.'

© Eric Charbonneau

Zendaya was joined by Austin Butler and Timotheé Chalamet in New York City, where they answered questions from the audience. “I was a shy kid, always have been, and so this part isn’t natural — that is a huge reason why fashion became important to me because it became like armor to pretend to go out and do the job," she explained. 

© ANTHONY WALLACE

The 'Challengers' star continued, “So I don’t know if I, either, can fully relate, but I definitely understand what you’re saying, and I think that’s what’s terrifying to me."

“I would like to be a person and for people to see me as that first. I don’t necessarily know if I want or can handle all of that or want [that] — some people that’s part of it, they enjoy the power that comes from it, and I don’t know if that’s for me," she concluded.

© Marleen Moise