The actress joined her “Malcolm & Marie” co-star John David Washington for the interview, with the duo teaming up for an elegant, old-school photo shoot at a mansion in Beverly Hills.
Rancic came under fire in 2015 after she commented on Zendaya’s hair, stating that she must smell of “patchouli oil and weed.” Zendaya, who was 18 at the time had debuted dreadlocks at the event. She said the incident led to positive change including a Barbie doll modeled after her Oscars look.
“That’s how change happens,” Zendaya told W Magazine.
“And it made me think, How could I always have lasting impact on what people saw and associated with people of color?” she continued.
Washington discussed how he initially resisted wanting to become an actor like his father Denzel Washington, and how he pursued football before playing in the NFL.
“In football, you had to prove every day that you belonged, which is also true in acting,” Washington said.
“When I snapped my Achilles tendon on a play — when I heard that pop — I thought, ‘This is God’s way of saying that you have to sit down and think about your life.’ After that I auditioned for Ballers and got the part. That was the beginning of this new life,” he continued.
