‘The Crown' star transforms from King Charles into scandalous new role for 'Challengers'
foxnews.comJosh O’Connor is best known to most audiences for his Emmy-winning performance as a young King Charles in seasons three and four of "The Crown." But for his new film, "Challengers," co-starring Zendaya and "West Side Story" star Mike Faist, he’s showing a whole new side of himself.
O’Connor plays tennis pro Patrick, one-third of a love triangle with Tashi (Zendaya), a tennis pro poised for greatness before an injury relegates her to coaching, and Art (Faist), another well-to-do tennis pro.Tashi eventually marries Art, and Patrick comes back into their lives years later, kicking off tensions and connections, including a racy threesome.
Reviews have described "Challengers" as sexy and steamy, something O’Connor is still surprised he was chosen for. "If you were making the movie, you wouldn’t cast me," O’Connor recalled telling screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes in an interview for The Wall Street Journal. "You would cast anyone but me." Zendaya not only co-starred in but produced the film, and she handpicked O’Connor for the role after a discussion with director Luca Guadagnino. "Literally, that was the first person I thought of," the "Euphoria" star told the outlet of O’Connor.
She explained she liked the actor’s intensity in "The Crown," and remembered thinking, "After meeting him, I was like, ‘Oh, my God, you’re nothing like this person.’" O’Connor admitted when it comes to his casting, "I still think it’s a reach." Filming the steamy scenes raised its own set of challenges, including Zendaya’s family viewing the finished product. "It was hilarious," she told Entertainment Tonight recently, noting her family was aware of the film’s scandalous content.
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