Zendaya is no overnight sensation. The Spider-Man star has been working in Hollywood since she was a preteen on Disney Channel’s Shake It Up, and she has seen an incredible upward trajectory in fame across nearly 15 years now. However, as the actress recently shared, within the past year, she’s really noticed what she calls a “visceral change” when it comes to her recognizability, meaning that sometimes, while she’s going about mundane everyday life things, you know, like picking up your dog’s poop, she'll get recognized.
While speaking to Elle, the fashion icon got real about how her fame affects her on a day-to-day basis, and it sounds like it can be a hassle. In her words:
After the last Spider-Man and the last season of Euphoria, there was a visceral change. Before, I could get away with going places and getting in and out. But in Boston, I would end up going right back home, because it was really overstimulating. Everybody would go hang out at a bar or something, and I’d be like, ‘I’d love to, but I think I could ruin everybody’s night. Because it’s just not going to be fun once I’m there.’
It’s unfortunate that the cost of Zendaya’s fame is leading her to feel the need to isolate just to get away from constantly being recognized. She has been a famous name for some time, but according to her, between her leading role in Euphoria and Spider-Man: No Way Home, her familiarity is more undeniable now than ever. During the profile, Zendaya also spoke about what happened when she was in Venice, Italy earlier this year walking her dog Noon.
I had this idea of, like, I can walk around Venice. No, I can’t. I had to pick up his poo, and I was like, Lord, please, don’t take a picture of me picking up my dog’s shit. There’s a picture of me holding the bag, but thankfully they spared the grabbing and the putting it in the bag part.
Now, this is a new level of fame. You know you’ve really made it when people are even interested in you as you literally pick up poop, and that’s Zendaya’s life right now. The actress also recalled going to a store to buy a pillow recently when she was swarmed by fellow customers taking photos of her.
We’re not surprised Zendaya has reached a new echelon of fame considering how popular her work has been as of late. Last year, she made history at the Emmys and filmed Dune: Part Two back-to-back after Spider-Man: No Way Home became an all-time successful commercial hit the year prior. That’s not to mention her low-key (but very high-profile) relationship with Marvel co-star Tom Holland and friendships with other famous people, like Beyoncé.
Zendaya is set to reprise her role as Chani in Dune: Part Two this fall with the sequel being one of the most highly-anticipated of 2023's new movie releases. Aside from that, she’s also starring in a movie called Challengers, coming this spring, and she is expected to return for Euphoria Season 3 at some point. When you’re as successful as Zendaya, as it turns out, the public is interested in everything one does, even the less glamorous stuff like dog poop.
