Kadeem Hardison has described his former Disney Channel and current daughter Euphoria co-star Zendaya as “a boss,” following their surprise on-screen meeting.
The couple, who played father and daughter together on the hit show. KC undercover A decade ago, they reunited for the final season of the gritty HBO drama.
Hardison joined the cast as Big Eddy, a character who works alongside Zendaya’s Rue at a strip club run by drug lord Alamo.
The reunion was a long time coming for the duo, who stayed in touch after their Disney days.
Hardison revealed to The Hollywood Reporter that it was Zendaya herself who introduced him Euphoria creator Sam Levinson during a Christmas dinner.
He admitted that when he first saw the show at its premiere, he felt “tremendously uncomfortable” seeing the intense world it depicted, which was a far cry from his familiar beginnings.
However, after meeting Levinson and visiting the set, he finally landed the role of Big Eddy.
Reflecting on how much Zendaya has changed since she was a teenager, Hardison noted that while she has matured, her leadership qualities were visible even when she was 16 years old.
He recalled being impressed that she was an executive producer on his Disney show, and is even more surprised by how she has expanded that role into her film career.
“She’s always been that person and she’s always been a boss,” he said, jokingly referring to the multi-award-winning actress as his “little big sister” because she’s often the more mature of the two.
The latest episode provided plenty of dramatic meat for both actors, with Hardison’s character caught up in a violent drug war.
He confessed that watching Zendaya’s performance now is a shock compared to her earlier work, admitting that he didn’t know she had so much “depth” and felt like he had to work hard to keep up with her.
For Hardison, whose career stretches back more than three decades to A different worldThe experience was a full-circle moment that demonstrated his own advice to his fellow actors: As long as you stay in the game, the next big thing will always be just around the corner.
