Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you probably know very well who Zendaya Coleman is. She has become a household name as common as Oprah. The former Disney star has blossomed into a talented young woman beloved by all. Her work in shows like Euphoria, reveals how easily she can go from impersonating a girly and bubbly teen to a dark and troubled high schooler. In her latest film, Malcolm & Marie, Zendaya plays a leading role where she is sure to be paid generously. The same doesn’t always apply to other members of the crew. That’s why Zendaya made sure that everyone would get their fair share.
About Zendaya
In case you somehow don’t know much about Zendaya, here’s a brief background about her and her accomplishments.
Zendaya is an American actress, singer and producer. She rose to fame after landing the role as Rocky Blue on the Disney show Shake It Up. In 2013, she was a contestant on Dancing with the Stars, and from 2015 to 2018, she produced and starred in K.C. Undercover.
Zendaya’s performance as a teen struggling with drug addiction in Euphoria, has led her to become the youngest winner of the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. She also participated in the films, The Greatest Showman, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Spider-Man: Far from Home and the romance drama, Malcolm & Marie.
Zendaya’s music career began in 2011 with her singles “Swag It Out” and “Watch Me,” a collaboration with Bella Thorne. In 2012, she released her single “Replay,” which reached number 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
The actress has also shown strong support for various charities and causes. She has been involved in Hurricane Sandy relief efforts, the Convoy’s Women’s Empowerment Initiative, visited South Africa with UNAIDS, a program committed to preventing and creating access to HIV and AIDS treatment and countless other causes. In addition, part of the proceeds from Malcom & Marie, which was filmed during the pandemic, went to Feeding America.
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Zendaya raised awareness to bring more access to technology in underserved communities and schools. She supports the Black Lives Matter movement and partnered with organizations to promote anti-racism resources. She has also been an advocate for voting for years. It seems safe to say that Zendaya is a very kind, compassionate individual, who will stop at nothing to make a difference in the world.
About Malcolm & Marie
Malcolm & Marie is a 2021 American black-and-white romance film directed by Sam Levinson. The film features Zendaya and John David Washington. The plot follows a writer/director named Malcolm and his model girlfriend, Marie whose relationship undergoes a strain on the night of his latest film’s premiere. Malcolm’s movie had received a bad review that the couple wind up arguing over.
Malcolm & Marie takes place in the span of one night and in one place. The two characters were the only roles throughout the whole movie and the dialogue consisted of conversation between them. The film was the first Hollywood feature to be entirely written, produced and financed during the coronavirus pandemic.
Mixed Reviews
When the film came out on Netflix, it received an abundance of mixed reviews. According to Rotten Tomatoes, 57 percent of the reviews were positive and had an average rating of 6.3 out of 10. Some critics gave Malcolm & Marie a mountain of praise.
“Levinson gives his stars roughly equal time, carefully modulating the sense of balance throughout. His direction seldom seems showy, and yet, we sense the intention behind each cut as power and control shifts throughout the movie.”
Peter Debruge, writer for Variety
Mike Crowley from You’ll Probably Agree, called the movie a “decent quarantine capsule” and “pretentious in all the right ways.”
Others didn’t appreciate the film so much.
“At one point, during one of Malcolm’s endless protestations about the state of modern filmmaking, he declares, ‘Cinema doesn’t need to have a f*cking message. It needs to have a heart and electricity.’ It’s a shame the creators behind Malcolm & Marie didn’t realize the film has neither.”
Angelica Jade Bastien, writer for Vulture
Charles Bramesco from Little White Lies also deemed it an “awkward, hideously overacted talkathon.”
How Did Zendaya Do It?
Zendaya advocated for her co-workers on set, many of whom had lost their jobs during the pandemic. The team created a points system that would help crew members earn more money as the film itself made more money. The points are like shares of stock in a movie. People who own points can gain extra money if the film takes off.
According to Variety, Malcolm & Marie sold for $30 million. One point equals one percent. Per Today, that means everyone on the cast and crew with points received a large sum of payment. Even if someone had only one point, that could equal $300,000 in profit for them.
Zendaya revealed during an HFPA panel for the Golden Globes that she hoped the new points system wouldn’t just be a one-time thing and could continue on for future projects. She stated that it was important to take care of people, especially the ones who have been by your side.
“It just felt like the right thing to do. These are the people that are laying all the tracks and were with us through the whole thing — and literally putting their blood, sweat, and tears into it.”
Zendaya
Zendaya is overall a great celebrity and role model. Unlike many other famous people, she actually uses her status to consistently speak out about social politics and stand up for the less privileged. She is strategic and deliberate about the ways she makes a statement or helps out others. In general, her methods, whether they are through her style/appearance, a post on social media or a contribution to charities, are very effective toward bringing about positive change.
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