LOS ANGELES – With the new movie Challengers, former child star Zendaya has taken on yet another risque and award-baiting role.

Opening in Singapore cinemas on May 1, it has the 27-year-old American actress playing a tennis champ-turned-coach, who finds herself in a complicated love triangle with her husband and former boyfriend.

The sports romance invites comparisons with Zendaya’s star turn in the teen drama Euphoria (2019 to present). The series’ controversial depiction of sexuality and drug use scandalised fans from her Disney Channel days, when she appeared in pre-teen sitcoms such as Shake It Up (2010 to 2013) and K.C. Undercover (2015 to 2018).

But Euphoria proved a turning point in her career, winning her two Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Emmys for her performance as a teen drug addict Rue.

And there is already awards buzz for her first wide-release, big-screen lead role in Challengers, which is directed by Italian film-maker Luca Guadagnino, who made the Oscar-winning gay romantic drama Call Me By Your Name (2017).

At a recent press conference in Los Angeles, Zendaya says she was both drawn to and intimidated by how multi-layered the characters are in Challengers, which is rated M18 for nudity and some mature content.

Tashi (Zendaya), a tennis prodigy whose career ended because of an injury, is now coaching her husband Art (Mike Faist) on the court, where he is preparing to face off against one-time best friend Patrick (Josh O’Connor) – who also happens to be Tashi’s former lover.

The actress, who is dating 27-year-old British actor Tom Holland, fell in love with American playwright-novelist Justin Kuritzkes’ script as soon as she read it.

“I could not define what kind of movie it was. It was funny, but I would not say it was a comedy. There was drama, but I would not say it was just a drama. And it had tennis, but it was not like a sports movie,” she says.

“It also made me very nervous, as something to tackle, because of how complicated these characters are.”

Tashi is often ruthless and manipulative, but unapologetically so.

“It was a character that I feel like I had never read or seen before. It scared the s*** out of me and so I was, like, ‘Maybe I need to do this,’” Zendaya adds.

Tashi is also one of the rare female characters “who does not have to be likeable and does not care about you liking her and does not ask for forgiveness”.

“That was refreshing to me and that was why I wanted to play her,” says the star, whose previous film credits include supporting roles as MJ in the Spider-Man superhero film series (2017 to 2021) and Chani in the two-part science-fiction epic Dune (2021 and 2024).

“It is easy to judge these characters, and I understand that because we all do. But I think the beauty of this film is that your mind will change.

“Because I know mine has. Every time I watch it, every time I read it and every time we were playing it.

“I had preconceived notions about the characters and then these guys (co-stars Faist and O’Connor) came in and, with their performances alone, changed my perception of these characters,” she adds.

Zendaya had also wanted to work with 52-year-old Guadagnino, who directed her Dune co-star Timothee Chalamet to a Best Actor Oscar nomination with Call Me By Your Name. That film was also nominated for Best Picture and won for Best Adapted Screenplay.

“I was such a fan of his work for so long and had been hoping to work with him in some capacity.

“And he understood these characters in such a deep sense – down to what kind of lotion Tashi would use before she goes to bed,” she says.

“These are the little details that make me go, ‘Oh my gosh, you get her.’ And he had that same instinct for all the characters, so it just felt like an obvious ‘yes’ for me.”

• Challengers opens in Singapore cinemas on May 1.