Zendaya chose not to spend the night at the Critics Choice Awards. Even though two of her projects, Challengers and Dune: Part Two, have nominations, she does not have an individual nod. She is not presenting at the show either.
The actress’s last major red carpet appearance was the Golden Globes. Notably, production just started on Euphoria’s third season, so the star may have had work.
In January, Zendaya spoke to W magazine about how playing a character on the red carpet “really” helps her “because it’s an odd thing to get up in front of people and pose in a crazy outfit. For me, if I create a character, it makes it feel less strange.”
This is part of why she loves acting, too. Her job “allows me the space to be less self-critical and try things, because I don’t have to deal with the consequences of the character’s actions in real life,” she explained. “When I’m [Euphoria’s] Rue or when I’m [Challengers] Tashi, for example, I can just be messy, let the instincts come, and not judge myself because I’m not judging them.”
The imagination she uses to create characters started in her childhood. “I was a shy kid, and I gained confidence and a sense of self when I started to audition,” she shared. “I’d create my own little outfits, do my own hair and makeup. Falling into different characters helped me get out of my shell.”