Was Zendaya scared of Timothée Chalamet smelling her breath? (Photo Credit – Prime Video)
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Zendaya revealed the hilarious throwback in an interview with W magazine, admitting, “My biggest fear was that my mouth would be vile, and then I would have to do a scene with Timothée where we have to be really close, and he would smell my dry socket breath.” The Euphoria star had just gotten her wisdom teeth removed before auditioning for Dune, and those cozy close-ups suddenly felt a little too close.
While the concern was 100% real for Zendaya, fans wouldn’t have guessed. Her scenes with Chalamet might’ve been brief, but the chemistry hit fast. The two played Paul and Chani in Denis Villeneuve’s Dune, a sci-fi epic that followed Paul Atreides as he wrestled with power, destiny, and mysterious desert dreams. Zendaya’s Chani appeared mostly in those visions, until the film’s end, when the two finally met in the flesh.
Zendaya called the experience short but meaningful. Speaking with Empire in 2021, she said, “I only really had a few days with her, so I kind of scratched the surface, but it was so much fun figuring her out.” She added that playing a Fremen meant adjusting everything, from how Chani walked to how she moved through the sand-covered planet of Arrakis.
And while she may have been quietly panicking over dental drama, things clearly worked out. Zendaya and Chalamet didn’t just click onscreen, they bonded offscreen, too. In a chat with People, Zendaya said, “I’m just so grateful that this experience has been with this guy because he’s massively talented but also such a good person. We’ve been able to have fun and become great friends.”
Fans who craved more Chani were left wanting in Dune: Part One, but there was always a plan. Director Denis Villeneuve deliberately focused on Paul’s arc in the first installment. Speaking to the Los Angeles Times, he explained, “There are some characters that are less developed that I’m keeping for the second film — that’s the way I found the equilibrium.” He wanted the first part to follow Paul closely and saved the deeper dives for the sequel.
Thanks to over $400 million in global box office earnings, Dune: Part Two got the green light. And Zendaya’s Chani was set for a much bigger presence in the follow-up, promising more action, more dialogue, and thankfully, no dry socket fears.
So while Zendaya once worried about foul breath ruining her close-up, fans only saw a magnetic on-screen connection. The audition may have stunk (literally), but the result? Sci-fi magic.
