Netflix’s Malcolm & Marie was released today (Feb. 5) and in the hours ahead of its debut, leading lady Zendaya opened up about the film in a lengthy and heartfelt Instagram post. The Emmy-awarded actress, who portrays the movie’s Marie, also served as a co-producer on the Sam Levinson-directed project.
“Full of excitement and nervousness as this lil movie we made in lockdown with people I love is coming out in the next few hours,” she wrote. “Nervousness for a few reasons. Normally I’m pretty self-critical and that leads me to be far too fearful to make things myself or trust myself enough to even try. This is really my first time believing that maybe I could.”
“This is my first time being a leading lady, but also my first time being this creatively involved in something, producing something, co-financing something, owning something and sharing it all with my crew,” the “Euphoria” actress continued.
Zendaya stars opposite John David Washington, who plays filmmaker Malcolm, in the black-and-white romantic drama. As she notes in her post, the movie was filmed across the span of two weeks and with a small crew during quarantine.
“We made this as a family; shot it in 14 days with a 22 person crew I am eternally grateful for. For their talent, their time, their hard work and their willingness to believe in this film,” she wrote.
“If there’s anything to learn from this year, and I hope from our little movie, it’s gratitude for every moment and every person we get to love,” she continued. “To stop and acknowledge the people in our lives who make it possible to do the work we do and honestly; make life worth living. It comes in many forms and sometimes it’s just a thank you.”
To conclude her post, Zendaya sent a message to her fans.
“… On behalf of our little crew of 22, we hope you laugh (please laugh lol) and cry and hopefully enjoy this little thing we made with a whole lot of love.”
Last year, Zendaya was nominated for several awards for her starring role on “Euphoria,” including winning her first Emmy Award for Lead Actress for the series.
See her full post below and find Malcolm & Marie on Netflix.