Josh O’Connor Addresses Sexuality of His & Mike Faist’s ‘Challengers’ Characters, Zendaya Talks About the Shift in Her Career

Zendaya on playing a Black woman in a visible interracial relationship:

“It’s more exclusive to Tashi. I don’t know if I necessarily personally connected. But I do know, being the kind of woman that she is, it would be difficult to be reduced and never called anything else but his wife. She’s his coach, and she’s constantly reminding people of that. In the words of Beyoncé, don’t get it twisted, right? That’s true of a lot of women in power. Especially Black women in power.”

Zendaya on how Challengers presents a shift in her career:

“I’ve been playing 16-year-olds since I was 16. So it was nice to play a character that was not a child anymore. It was also interesting playing parts of my life that I haven’t experienced yet: I’ve not gotten married. I’ve not had a child. Those milestones, I don’t necessarily have a direct reference point for. That was different to feel. Ultimately, it felt like the right time for a character like this.”

Mike Faist on what drew him to the film:

“My agent called and said, ‘There’s a really good script. You should take a look.’ I never read anything. I’m always telling my agents to leave me alone, is the truth of the matter, but I could tell in her voice that she really meant it. So I read it, and she was right. They asked if I could come to London to do a test screen with Z. I thought, ‘Why not? If I don’t get the job, I got a trip out of it.’”

Josh O’Connor on the sexuality of his and Mike Faist’s character:

“I think they’re everything. I think it’s Platonic and non-Platonic. I think they’re obsessed with each other. I think it’s stronger than love—we need each other in order to feel complete.”

Find out what Serena Williams thought of the movie.

Posted To:Challengers Josh O'Connor Mike Faist Slideshow Zendaya