-They love you! Can you feel the love? [ Cheers and applause ] -Thank you.
-Welcome back to the show. It's always great to see you. I want to congratulate you, by the way, on your Emmy nomination for "Euphoria.
" -Thank you. -Come on, bud! [ Cheers and applause ] What a year.
Uh, thank you for coming back to our show and seeing us. Are you -- are you kind of bittersweet, sad, that "Euphoria" is over? -Of course, of course.
I mean, it was so -- you know, was such a huge part of my life. And it was so much of my 20s. And I feel like I made so many lasting, loving friendships.
And I learned so much about myself. And I -- honestly, I think the most important thing that I always carry with me is the -- is the people who connected and loved Rue. -Yeah.
We love Rue. -And that, you know. .
. -Yeah. -You were fantastic.
Well deserved on that nomination. You've been all over the world promoting "The Odyssey," so thank you for stopping by here. -Thanks for having me.
-You had the premiere last night in New York. It was giant. Take me back to the beginning.
-Okay. -How do you get -- You get cast. And how did you know that you were going to be in this movie?
-Well, you know, Tom got the call. -Ooh. [ Cheering ] Okay.
Okay. Okay. -Okay.
Christopher Nolan called, and I -- My heart was just so full. I was so excited for him. Good for him.
We love Tom. -I mean, he's the best, and he deserves this. -He deserves it.
So much. -Yes. -And I was just so excited.
And also I'm -- you know, I'm obviously his biggest fan, but I'm also a Chris Nolan fan. -Yeah. -Right?
Like, so, when that kind of opportunity comes around, I was just so excited. Like, I didn't even put myself in that equation at all. Like we already won, you know?
-Yeah. -And then he, um -- he had another meeting. So, he had the script.
I may have done a little, you know, peeky peek. -Okay. Yeah, you're allowed to peek.
-I gotta know. There's a Christopher Nolan script in my house. What am I gonna do, you know?
Okay, so I looked. Um. .
. And then, he went off to his meeting, and then when he came home, I was like, "Okay. Like, tell me all about it.
Like, how was he? What was it like? " You know what I mean?
I was, like, so ready, so excited. And he goes, "Read this again," and I was like, "W-why? Like, I just read it -- like, we just read it last night," and he's like, "Read it again, but with Athena in mind.
" And I was like, "Yo, stop it right now. " [ Laughter ] And I was just like -- my -- I just -- yeah, I freaked out. I was so grateful, and that he got to be the one to tell me.
Come on. -I love that dude. -It was so special.
[ Applause ] -I love him so much. He's a great guy. -Me, too.
-I know you love him more. You love him more. But what was it like meeting Christopher Nolan?
-Oh, I was just trying to play it cool, you know? -Of course. -Because, like, you know, I'm a super fan.
I can't come in too strong. You know what I mean? -But you are a super fan.
-But of course. -Yeah, everyone is. -Of course.
And I think what he represents in our -- in our industry, and I think it was -- I would do anything just to kind of be on a set like that and be able to watch and learn. I love being on sets, and I love -- even if I'm not working, often, I'll come to set just to watch. And what -- when will you have the opportunity to be on a set like that?
-Yeah. -You know what I mean? -Where was he?
In his office? What was he doing? -He was in his office and we just -- -Was his back towards you, and he spun around?
-And he spun around. -Yeah, he spun around like. .
. -Yeah. -"And then -- oh.
I didn't know you were there. Yeah, I didn't see you. " -Light.
You know what I mean? No, it was -- it was -- it was actually so chill. It was so chill.
And then like an hour in, I was like, "Yo, I'm kind of kicking it with Christopher Nolan right now. " [ Laughter ] -"It's kind of -- this is working. This is working.
" -Yeah, this is working. -But did you tell him how much of a fan you were? -I did, I did.
I did it in a cool way. You know? It was a nice transition, 'cause there was, like, um.
. . My favorite Christopher Nolan movie is "Interstellar.
" -Yeah. -So. .
. [ Cheering ] Shout-out. And so there was a -- like, a little kind of replica of TARS, the robot that's in the film.
-Yes. -And I was like, "Okay, this is my time to kind of ask about 'Interstellar. '" -Oh.
So you go. . .
-Yeah, so I was like, "Oh, I love -- TARS, yo," and that's how I opened up that. -But you are a super fan of "Interstellar. " -Yeah.
-You actually brought us a video of you explaining to Hunter Schafer. . .
-Yes. -. .
. on the set of "Euphoria. " -This was at home.
This was in my living room. -This is in your living room. -Tom is recording this, yeah.
-All right. Well, this is explaining the -- -"Interstellar. " -Just explaining the movie.
-Anybody who needs help, I got you. -Yeah, and it was -- [ Laughter ] Thank you for bringing this to us. We actually had to cut it down a little bit because it was -- -I cut it down before I sent it to you.
-Thank you. -Like, it was like 10 minutes long. -It's extensive.
It's worth it. -It's very detailed. -Take a look at this.
-Prior to this, in her life. . .
-[ Laughing ] -. . .
she's been growing up with this thing in her room, right? And it's been knocking on his door. That's what I was saying with this.
And she's telling her dad, and dad's like, "What the [bleep] you on about? But dad, he follows one of those [bleep] things, and it takes him to NASA, which ultimately ends him up here, right? And then he goes off, whatever, whatever.
In her life, while he's doing this crazy [bleep], this when he gives her the coordinates, what's actually happening -- -Goes there. -Over here! -"Oh, it's over here -- no!
" [ Cheers and applause ] "While he's doing that, this is happening! " -Yes. And I don't know if you can see, but I was mapping it out on a -- like, on a box.
-Yes. -So she could understand the timeline, the dimensions, if you know what I'm -- -I love how much you're nerding out about it. I love it so much.
-I do. I love it so much. -And thank you for bringing that video.
But you've done massive movies -- "Dune," "Spider-Man. " How does -- [ Cheers and applause ] This amazing work, but amazing sets. How does it compare to this?
Because what I've heard and talked to the cast so far, people's minds are blown. -It's -- it's extraordinary. Like, being on a Christopher Nolan set is unlike anything I think -- I remember my first day, I kind of was dropped into Troy.
Like, I was fully at the war, you know? And the night before, I had done a night shoot on "Euphoria. " So you can imagine that -- that kind of switch-up in, like, less than 24 hours.
. . -Like, how is your brain handling this?
-I don't know. I have no idea. [ Laughter ] And I felt -- I honestly felt like I was still dreaming almost because you walk onto these sets, and they are -- I mean, you've heard the scale, the scope, the attention to detail.
-Where was this set? 'Cause there was different countries. -Yeah, I went -- I went everywhere.
-Yeah, you did. -I went everywhere. And I felt bad because I was kind of popping in and out.
You know, people, it was really an odyssey. They had gone through so much together, and I was just like, "Hey, y'all. " [ Laughter ] "See you in Scotland.
See you in Iceland," you know? -Yeah. -But it was -- it was such a privilege and such a joy.
And I was just, honestly, trying to, like, take all that excitement and trying to use it, you know? Because, you know, sometimes you can psych yourself out, you know? You can get in your head about, like -- I mean, being on a set like that with people that I admire, the level, the scale, the amount of background performers.
-The acting, the everything. -The acting, the fire, the whole thing is happening. And I just -- I don't want to be the thing that's holding this up.
-Yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly. -I don't want to be messing up my lines. -I love that you're still humble about this.
You're Zendaya. You're allowed to be -- They're lucky to have you on the set. -It was.
. . -Good for you.
-It was so cool. -And this is something I think everyone should see in a theater, if you can. -Yes.
-Yes. -I saw it -- Yeah. -I know that's right.
-As big as you can, IMAX or whatever you want to -- But it's shot in IMAX. -Yes, entirely. -Have you ever snuck into a theater and watched one of your movies?
-I -- Yes, I have. [ Laughter ] -You have? Really?
-I have. I -- One of the very early "Spider-Man" movies, me and my family, we snuck into the back, and that was really fun. But I remember just, you know, it was actually -- it was the last "Spider-Man" premiere was so special because we knew that big -- you know, the Spider-Men were back.
-Yes. -You know? I remember knowing, like, "Oh, it's coming, and, like, people, they don't know.
" -And you're like, "I want to look at the audience and the movie at the same time. " -Getting to turn around and watch people's reactions is so fun. And that's the movie-going experience.
-Yeah, it's fun. -You know? Getting to experience something in a theater with other people, it's so special.
-Yes. [ Cheers and applause ] It's so special. Uh.
. . How do we set up "The Odyssey" and who you play?
-Oh. Well. .
. -Yes. -That's a -- that's a tough -- -That's a lot, yeah.
It's a 3000-year-old story. Yeah. -Okay?
It's quite dense. -Yes. -You know?
-I'll say Matt Damon is trying to find his way home. -Yet again. -Let's do that.
-Yes. -Yes. I love it.
I want to show a clip. Here's Zendaya in "The Odyssey. " Take a look at this.
-Why can't Gods speak in ways we understand? ♪♪ -Who doesn't understand thunder? A fire?
A child's smile, a good harvest? -But you hide yourselves from us. -Look.
Who's moving that cloud? Amassing those birds? Who's moving the water?
-Come on, now. It's great! You have to see it.
It's amazing. Zendaya, everyone! [ Cheers and applause ] "The Odyssey" opens in theaters everywhere this Friday.
More with Zendaya after the break. Stick around.
