W A I T I T I : A U G U S T; W A R D L E S O U R C E P H O T O : H A N M I N UTo mTo me, Zendaya is a thousand e, Zendaya is a thousand
years old. She has already lived
mmany lives before this one. And any lives before this one. And
yet, she is as young as spring-yet, she is as young as spring-
timtime. By some. By some inextricable par-e inextricable par-
adox, she also gives the imadox, she also gives the im--
pression of having been born pression of having been born
somsometimetime far into the future. She e far into the future. She
is timis timeless, and she can do it all. eless, and she can do it all.
In just the past year or so, In just the past year or so,
Zendaya has radiated like a Zendaya has radiated like a
shooting star captured on cel-shooting star captured on cel-
luloid in Samluloid in Sam Levinson’s Levinson’s
MMalcolm & Malcolm & Marie. arie. She emShe emotion-otion-
ally exploded as her teenage ally exploded as her teenage
years disintegrated in Levinson’s years disintegrated in Levinson’s
cultural phenomcultural phenomenon enon Euphoria.Euphoria.
She shone in She shone in Spider-MSpider-Man: an:
No WNo Way Home,ay Home, a m a movie that ovie that
domdominated the box offiinated the box office in a ce in a
year when she becamyear when she became the me the muse use
of extremof extremes. es.
But Zendaya is mBut Zendaya is much much more ore
than that. She is an autonomthan that. She is an autonomous ous
creative force herself. A cultural creative force herself. A cultural
icon in the micon in the making. A person aking. A person
driven by pure inspiration, emdriven by pure inspiration, em--
pathy, and respect for her craft, pathy, and respect for her craft,
who uses authenticity as a new who uses authenticity as a new
superpower. She seemsuperpower. She seems fearless, s fearless,
her roots run deep, and I love her roots run deep, and I love
that she still laughs like a kid. that she still laughs like a kid.
Zendaya is the future. And there Zendaya is the future. And there
is nothing mis nothing more comore comforting to forting to
mme. This is only the beginning.e. This is only the beginning.
Villeneuve is a director, most Villeneuve is a director, most
recently of recently of DuneDune
ZZeennddaayyaa
Shining starShining star
B Y D E N I S V I L L E N E U V EB Y D E N I S V I L L E N E U V E
70 Time June 6/June 13, 2022