'Challengers' screenwriter shares how Zendaya's early fame impacts her role

Justin Kuritzkes reveals how Zenday's early career as a child star deeply influenced her role in the Challengers.

During an interview with the Variety, screenwriter of the Challengers, Kuritzkes explained how Zendaya's personal journey mirrors that of her character, Tashi in the film.

Challengers, which features a star-studded cast including Zendaya, Mike Faist, and Josh O'Connor, explores the intense dynamics within a love triangle set against the backdrop of professional tennis.

Kuritzkes shared that during the initial discussions about the film, he was struck by Zendaya's intuitive grasp of the character's challenges and aspirations.

"Something that we talked about in that first conversation that I think is really, really interesting about her with this role is that the place that somebody like Zendaya occupies our culture, in our world, is very much the space that Tashi was supposed to occupy," he said.

He also added, "That was the kind of life that Tashi was supposed to have, and then that gets taken away, and she had to figure out another way to get there, or she has to be at peace with not getting there."

According to Kuritzkes, this shared background enabled Zendaya to bring a profound understanding and depth to the character of Tashi.

"It was really interesting for me to think about somebody like Zendaya touching a character like that, because she just naturally brings so much knowledge to it, and so much of it is grounded in reality because she so intimately understands that dilemma."