Zendaya Had to Calm Robert Pattinson Before Filming a Scene in “Drama”: Actor ‘Went Crazy for Three Days’
According to CinemaDrame News Agency, Robert Pattinson recently explained how his co-star, Zendaya, helped ease his anxiety and overthinking while acting. Pattinson, who stars alongside the Challengers actress in Christopher Borgli’s upcoming A24 film Drama, told the French magazine Premiere that Zendaya helped him stay less “crazy” while he was dissecting the script in great detail.
Drama, announced in August 2024, tells the story of a couple whose romantic relationship takes an unexpected turn before their wedding. Mamoudou Athie also appears in the film.
Pattinson spoke about filming: “We had a scene together that was driving me crazy. I was obsessively searching for its meaning, writing page after page of textual analysis. The night before filming, I called Zendaya. I shared my doubts with her, we talked for two hours, and after a while, very calmly, she made me understand that the dialogue just says what it is supposed to say and there’s no hidden meaning.”
He added, “And I had gone crazy for three days.”
Pattinson’s obsession with script analysis may hint at the potential complexity and twists of the film’s story, as Borgli is no stranger to intricate narratives. He previously directed the surreal film Dream Scenario and the dark comedy I’m Exhausted from Myself. It is also worth noting that Drama is produced by Ari Aster, the horror and thriller genre specialist. Borgli has recently signed on to direct the HBO series Shards, based on the serial killer novel by Bret Easton Ellis.
Drama is not the only project Pattinson has spoken about before. He told GQ that during the filming of Kill Your Love with director Lynne Ramsay, he nearly experienced a “mental breakdown.” Kill Your Love is also a couple-focused drama, about two spouses (played by Pattinson and Jennifer Lawrence) dealing with postnatal betrayal. However, what challenged Pattinson on set was not the emotional turmoil of the story, but the film’s dance sequence.
Pattinson described this experience: “I worked on this film with Lynne Ramsay, she is a very good dancer. Jennifer Lawrence is also a very good dancer. It’s easy for them.” He added, “They were saying: just dance, the music will play, just dance. I thought I was going to go insane. We either had to choreograph the dance or cut it. But they said: no, just dance, stop overthinking. The day of filming came, and I sweated so much that my pants got soaked.”
