"She has to be in the movie": Spider-Man producer Amy Pascal says she didn't know who Zendaya was during her audition for MJ

Vogue's latest cover story, featuring Zendaya, which was published on April 9, included insights by Amy Pascal, the producer of the actress' three Spider-Man movies. Pascal revealed that during Zendaya's audition for the role of MJ in 2017's Spider-Man: Homecoming, neither she nor Kevin Feige, Marvel Studios president, knew who she was.

The producer added that the actress was not wearing any makeup and "dressed like a regular girl." She and Feige were impressed with Zendaya's audition and speaking about the same, Pascal told the publication:

“She was wearing no makeup and she was just dressed like a regular girl, and we were like, ‘Oh my God, she’s amazing. She has to be in the movie.’ And then we found out she was a totally famous person, and felt really stupid.”

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Zendaya sheds light on her experience in the film industry and navigating public life

Zendaya played MJ in Spider-Man (Image via Instagram/@zendaya)

When Zendaya was chosen to play MJ in Spider-Man: Homecoming in 2017, she had already starred in several titles. In 2010, the singer-actress made her debut on Disney Channel in the Shake It Up series.

Later, in 2013, she made an appearance on Dancing with the Stars season 16 and was then chosen to star in the three-season television series K.C. Undercover. She also released her eponymous breakthrough album in 2013 and appeared in Beyonce and Taylor Swift's music videos.

Since then, Zendaya has starred in three Spider-Man movies alongside Tom Holland, namely Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019), and Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021).

However, in a new interview with Vogue, on April 9, the producer of the movies, Amy Pascal, stated that when Zendaya auditioned for the films, neither she nor Kevin Feige knew who she was.

In the same interview, Zendaya spoke candidly about her career in the industry and also shed light on her Spider-Man co-star Tom Holland. She recalled that they were both "very young" when they starred in the first film of the franchise and mentioned that she "watched his life kind of change in front of him."

“We were both very, very young, but my career was already kind of going, and his changed overnight. One day you’re a kid and you’re at the pub with your friends, and then the next day you’re Spider-Man. I definitely watched his life kind of change in front of him. But he handled it really beautifully,” she said.

She then went on to discuss how she navigates public life. She mentioned that she earlier felt compelled to click pictures with fans when they approached her but over time learned to "say no."

“I think growing up, I always felt like when someone asks for a picture, I have to do it, all the time. You have to say yes, because you need to be grateful that you’re here. And while I still feel that way, I also have learned that I can say no, and I can say kindly that I’m having a day off, or I’m just trying to be to myself today, and I don’t actually have to perform all the time,” she stated.

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Zendaya opens up about starting her career at a young age

The actress also spoke about starting her career at a very young age and said she felt she was "thrust into a very adult position" as she was the breadwinner of her family.

“I felt like I was thrust into a very adult position: I was becoming the breadwinner of my family very early, and there was a lot of role-reversal happening, and just kind of becoming grown, really,” she said.

She then confessed that she felt added pressure to be perfect and "live up to all these expectations."

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The actress will soon be seen in the upcoming movie Challengers, which is set to release on April 26. The title will star Mike Faist, Josh O'Connor, Nada Despotovich, and more in pivotal roles.