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Zendaya Coleman started out her career in the Hollywood limelight as a Disney sweetheart. Although it’s been a few years since her association with the Disney brand, her new show on HBO entitled Euphoria is a clear marking of the next chapter in her career. The 22-year-old actress plays the character Rue, a relapsing drug addict still in high school. The character is a polar opposite of Zendaya’s notable Disney role as Rocky Blue in Shake It Up. Since her role on the Disney’s hit show, Zendaya has taken up roles in The Greatest Showman and the new Spiderman: Far From Home movies. But, it can be said that without a doubt, Euphoria is a new level of serious for Zendaya and is imperative to her career by highlighting the depth and darkness of her acting range.
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Euphoria is based on an Israeli series of the same name that focuses on high school life – including all the darker bits: sex, alcohol, drugs, porn, and the toxicity of social media. The show’s narrative is brutally honest in regards to the complicated issues that young people deal with – a new landmark for Generation Z. Previous shows surrounding high school life like Pretty Little Liars and Gossip Girl seemed to have been missing the mark of honesty surrounding young people’s lives. Although these shows have major fan bases, in some way or another, they were not necessarily in tune with the reality of the struggles faced by young Americans because they somehow glamorized these issues. Euphoria tries its best to stay true to the authenticity of youthful challenges by giving their audience hard things to swallow.
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Zendaya has spoken out that her own experiences in high school have been influential in her work as this character. HBO wanted to chose a symbol of Generation Z to attract younger audiences to their new show and Zendaya was the perfect fit. She’s a respected symbol in Hollywood who is now proving her acting chops. Critics have called her performance incredibly dimensional – showing the character’s vulnerability and rough edges. The release of Zendaya’s new show is an exciting moment in her career to see what new challenging roles the actress will take on in the upcoming years.
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Critics have claimed that the role of Rue seemed more suited to Zendaya’s old Shake it Up co-star Bella Thorne. Bella Thorne has worked hard to redefine herself from the Disney brand with edgy and darker projects. But it was actually Zendaya’s astonishing self-awareness and presence that attracted Sam Levinson (the creator of Euphoria) to her.
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Watch the trailer for the new show here. Be warned – the show is intense and emotional but totally riveting. It’s refreshing to see a respected actress take on a role that is truly reflective of the challenges of being a young person in America. The reality is, that young people are put under an extreme amount of pressure in our society and are succumbing to high amounts of excess. It can be hard to navigate yourself in this constantly changing world and this show is a good demonstration of that battle. We’re excited to see where this show takes Zendaya and to follow her next steps from here.
