Now and Zen

Robert Pattinson on how Zendaya kept him calm on the set of their latest film, why he's his own harshest critic & the Twilight years

- ZARA ZUBEIDI

WITH the amount of time they have to spend together, not just filming but also on promotional events and weeks-long press tours, it helps when actors get along.

So it's a good job that Robert Pattinson and Zendaya have a close bond, given they have not one but three major films together out this year.

First for the pair comes Kristoffer Borgli's twisted romance The Drama, out next month, followed by Christopher Nolan's epic The Odyssey in July and Denis Villeneuve's sci-fi Dune: Part Three in December.

Robert, 39, says of his co-star: "She is one of the most incredible actresses of the moment. She is so talented but also such a calming influence on set.

"I have this thing where I overthink lines and look for a deeper meaning but her calm manner always quickly bought me back to the moment."

In The Drama, Zendaya, 29, stars as Emma Harwood, a bookshop assistant engaged to Robert's Charlie Thompson, a museum director from London.

Days before the couple are due to marry, one discovers unsettling truths about the other that threaten to unravel everything.

While their on-screen chemistry is undeniable, their offscreen friendship has been just as important in shaping their performances. It was in fact Zendaya's partner, Tom Holland, who first brought the pair together.

Robert had previously worked with fellow Brit Tom on The Devil All the Time in 2020.