It’s done. And there’s no going back. Drugs, sex and depression? And all in one scoop? Zendaya shatters her Disney's image once and for all...
16 June, 2019 by Fachana Techamaneewat
What’s this? The Shake It Up and K.C. Undercover star is leaving her Disney image far behind in her path to worldwide success? No longer will we see the bubbly, entertaining yet clean and innocent side of Zendaya?
There's no doubt that Zendaya, a rising star with millions of adoring fans, has just completely shattered her Disney image by taking the daring lead in the new controversial series, Euphoria by HBO.
Well, what role does she play?
A recovering drug addict.
Yes. We’ve all reacted exactly the same way as you did. It's definitely a 180 degree turn from her roles in her Disney days.
But let's talk more about 'Euphoria'. What makes it such a controversial series?
In a nutshell, Euphoria is everything you'd ever want in terms of realness in a coming of age American teen drama that focuses on a group of high school students just going about their everyday, average lives.
But hah! Forget any kind of average, ‘clean’ teen drama you’ve grown so used to seeing. None of that stuff here. Euphoria deals with the real stuff. The heavy stuff. ...Drugs? Yes. Sex? Uh huh. Social media? Depression? Love?
Definitely.
Woah. Who else is thinking that this makes 13 Reasons Why seem like a kid show right about now?
But what exactly makes Euphoria so daring, risky and different from everything else you've seen?
HBO's Euphoria will push all the boundaries they can in their quest to realistically depict the reasons as to why so many young teenagers turn to drug use and sex. And they use an extensive amount of extremely graphic adult content to get this message across.
Sugarcoating? Pfft. Euphoria has never heard of that word.
And you know what? The risk has paid off.
Check out the overwhelming flood of positivity from fans:
"This show is shedding light on what people go through everyday! [...] Thank you for making this @hbo and thank you @zendaya for being apart of it."
"This show truly is going to be such a relatable concept that people don’t like to admit, it’s raw and it’s real and I’m so ready for it.”
"[...] so raw yet incredibly relevant. Its refreshing to see you all break our societal norms with a show so real."
And what about Zendaya’s role in the series?
Well, early reviews can’t help but praise Zendaya and the entire cast’s performance.
Zendaya gives a career-defining performance, letting go of every ounce of the Disney girl within her. Her breakdown in the [...] episode is wrenching to watch - Mashable review
[The series] pull excellent performances from their cast. Zendaya always makes (Rue) seem vulnerable and just barely concealing her pain - Rolling Stone review
Zendaya, who is an absolute revelation here (and) a similarly fantastic breakout performance from trans actress and model Hunter Schafer in her first major role - Hollywood Reporter review
Wow. It looks like the cast is made up of quite a few talented people. Could this be a breakthrough in their careers for these new stars? And the next major hit series for HBO?
Now, let's not forget the best part:
The main characters consist of a girl of colour and a transgender female… the latter of which is actually played by a trans woman! Is anyone else proud that the TV industry is making major strides in LGBTQ representation? Here's to Hunter and may she become as well known as Laverne Cox from Orange is the New Black.
In the meantime, let’s keep raising the flag together.
...You with us?
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Fachana Techamaneewat is a news writer at Exclusive Hollywood and is responsible for researching and writing news articles while providing story updates wherever necessary.
Fun fact: On the weekends, she's an avid writer for practically anything. Her current obsession is the Umbrella Academy, and as of now, is writing a book.
