‘The Odyssey’ Star Zendaya Shows Off Her Christopher Nolan Fandom by Explaining ‘Interstellar’ With a Cardboard Box

Zendaya has openly expressed her admiration for Christopher Nolan, and she recently showcased just how deep her appreciation for the filmmaker runs.

While promoting Nolan’s upcoming epic The Odyssey, where she portrays Athena, the goddess of wisdom and warfare, Zendaya shared a humorous yet impressive testament to her long-standing fandom. During an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, she revealed a home video of herself explaining the plot of Nolan’s 2014 sci-fi film Interstellar using a cardboard box.

The video, recorded by her husband Tom Holland, features Zendaya sitting on her living room floor with actress Hunter Schafer, breaking down the intricate narrative of astronauts navigating through space, time, and a mysterious wormhole.

Before unveiling the clip, Zendaya humorously offered her assistance to anyone struggling to grasp the film’s complexities. “Anybody who needs help, I got you,” she told Jimmy Fallon.

Zendaya noted that the original footage was much longer than what aired on the show. Fallon mentioned the clip had been edited down, and Zendaya confirmed that she had already shortened it before sending it over. “I cut it down before I sent it to you. It was, like, 10 minutes long,” she revealed.

In the video, Zendaya cleverly uses a cardboard box to illustrate the events of Interstellar, detailing how Jessica Chastain’s character Murph connects to the overarching narrative and how Matthew McConaughey’s Cooper finds himself in the film’s emotional climax.

As she explains the movie, Zendaya confidently navigates through some of its major twists, using various points on the box to represent key moments in the story. Hunter Schafer can be heard laughing during the explanation, while Holland reacts from behind the camera.

Despite the lightheartedness, Zendaya’s explanation clearly resonated. By the end of the video, Schafer grasped the storyline and followed the intricate timeline.

During her chat with Fallon, Zendaya confirmed that Interstellar remains her favorite Christopher Nolan film. This passion for Nolan’s work made her involvement in The Odyssey particularly meaningful.

Zendaya expressed her excitement when she learned that Holland was being considered for the role of Telemachus, the son of Odysseus. Nolan initially reached out to Holland about joining the film, and Holland later shared the opportunity with Zendaya.

“My heart was just so full. I was so excited for him,” Zendaya said. “Like, I didn’t even put myself in that equation at all.” However, once Holland received the script, Zendaya admitted she couldn’t resist taking a peek. “There’s a Christopher Nolan script in my house. What am I gonna do, you know?” she joked.

After reading the script, Holland encouraged her to reconsider it, this time with Athena’s character in mind. “Read it again, but with Athena in mind,” Holland advised her, according to Zendaya. Her reaction was immediate. “I was like, ‘Yo, stop it right now,’” she recalled.

Zendaya also shared her experience working with Nolan, describing it as a dream come true. She mentioned trying to remain composed around the director, not wanting her fan excitement to be too evident.

“I was just trying to play it cool, ya know? Because I’m a super fan, I can’t come on too strong,” Zendaya said.

She added that Nolan signifies something extraordinary in filmmaking, and she would seize any opportunity to learn from him on set.

For Zendaya, The Odyssey was not merely another significant Hollywood project. It was a chance to collaborate with a filmmaker she has admired for years, and her cardboard box explanation of Interstellar illustrates that admiration began long before she entered Nolan’s realm.

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