Zendaya stepped into the spotlight in a striking strapless cream gown at a special screening of The Odyssey, where she revealed that husband Tom Holland supported her while she battled anxiety on set.
The actress plays Athena in Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of the Greek epic. She said she felt “incredibly nervous and anxious” while filming a particularly demanding scene featuring a large number of extras. Holland, who portrays Telemachus, came to the set that day to encourage her.
Speaking at the screening at the Academy Museum in Los Angeles, Zendaya said she felt “overwhelmed to say the least.”
“It was interesting because I was on a night shoot and I remember arriving and thinking, this is a pinch-me moment,” she said.
“I’m on the set and I’m in front of all these people I’ve admired, but I’m also thinking, I don’t want to mess this up.
“I want to do the right thing. What you don’t understand is that when you arrive, the scale of something like this is beyond anything you can really comprehend or understand.
“I was incredibly nervous, which I suppose was helpful for the scene. But there were so many background actors giving everything they had, along with stunt performers delivering the most beautiful performances.
“It doesn’t matter how large or small their part is in the shot; they give so much. I didn’t want to be the person who ruined the take, especially when you’re filming on IMAX.”
Zendaya and Tom Holland attended the special Los Angeles screening of The Odyssey
Zendaya plays Athena in Christopher Nolan’s 2026 adaptation and described filming the scene with numerous extras as an intensely nerve-racking experience
The Euphoria star continued: “It gave me a lot of anxiety, but trying to channel that feeling was difficult because, as an actor, you can get inside your own head and begin to overthink. Sometimes that almost makes you restrict yourself.
“For me, it was about staying open to the incredible performances happening right in front of me, and being as open and vulnerable as possible.
“It helped that Tom came to set that day. He was standing in the corner saying, ‘You’ve got this. You’re doing great.’
“I felt so honored because you could see the love from every department I was lucky enough to work with that day. I wanted to remain open enough to receive that and give it back, because this really is a labor of love.”
Zendaya looked elegant in an off-the-shoulder cream dress featuring a daring front split. She completed the look with towering Christian Louboutin stilettos and a pixie haircut.
She joined co-stars Tom Holland, John Leguizamo and Charlize Theron on stage.
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Zendaya and Holland, who married earlier this year, reportedly held a lavish celebration on August 4 at the Beaverbrook Hotel in Surrey, UK, according to Deuxmoi.
The party was reportedly worth more than $600,000.
People reported that Holland’s brothers Sam, Harry and Paddy attended and stayed on the grounds of the 370-acre country estate. The three men wore black tuxedos with wildflowers tucked into their lapels.
Zendaya described the experience as “overwhelming,” but said Tom, who plays Telemachus, came to the set to support her
Zendaya spoke during a special screening of The Odyssey at the Academy Museum in Los Angeles
“It helped that Tom came to set that day,” Zendaya said, recalling his words of encouragement from the sidelines
Zendaya portrays Athena in the film alongside Matt Damon, who plays Odysseus
The couple went to considerable lengths to keep their first wedding ceremony private, even as Zendaya was photographed wearing what appeared to be a wedding band.
Rumors intensified after Zendaya’s stylist, Law Roach, said on a red carpet in March that the pair had already married.
Holland eventually confirmed the secret wedding in an interview with Esquire published on June 16.
Asked about AI-generated wedding photographs that had gone viral, the English actor said his family had not been fooled because “they were all there” for the real ceremony.
The couple met while filming their first Spider-Man movie in early 2016. Their long-rumored romance was confirmed in July 2021, when they were photographed kissing inside a car.
It has been a packed year for Zendaya and Holland, who have balanced major film releases and global press tours with their relationship milestones.
Alongside their roles in The Odyssey, the pair returned to their Spider-Man roots in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which earned more than $1 billion at the box office.
Zendaya has also been busy with solo projects, completing work on season three of Euphoria, starring opposite Robert Pattinson in The Drama and preparing for the December 18 release of Dune: Part Three.
