Shadowing Practice: Zendaya on Family Seeing Challengers Love Scenes, Being a Meme & Escaping a Ticket with Tom Holland - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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Our first guest tonight is one of the biggest stars in the whole world.
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306 sentences
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Our first guest tonight is one of the biggest stars in the whole world.
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She's getting tremendous acclaim for her role as tennis prodigy turned coach in the new movie Challengers.
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It opens in select theaters Monday and nationwide a week from tomorrow.
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Please welcome Zendaya.
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How you doing?
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How you doing?
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You're dressed just like me, except I have pants on.
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I was inspired.
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I was inspired.
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You were my fashion inspiration today.
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Next time, let me know, and I also won't wear pants.
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OK, perfect.
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I'll text you in advance.
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You look great.
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It's great to see you.
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You were here in February.
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Long time, we'll see.
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It hasn't been long for Dune 2.
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You were with the whole cast.
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And since then, how many countries have you been to since since February?
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Oh, man.
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Like, probably like seven?
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Wow.
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And you like traveling around the world quickly like that?
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You know, I am grateful that I have a job that allows me to travel, allows me to see the world.
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I wish that I had more time in the place.
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Because really, when you're doing press tours, you really just see the inside of your hotel.
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You don't ever really get to go out and see the sights and get to be around people.
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So that's the only downfall.
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Are you a good packer?
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Are you a good sleeper?
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Can you go to sleep on the plane?
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Are you a good traveler in general?
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So I used to be able to sleep anywhere.
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Like I used to be able to just like curl up in a ball and sleep on the flight the whole way.
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Like before it even takes off, I'll be knocked out.
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But these days, I don't know if it's because I'm getting older.
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I.
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You are pretty old.
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Yeah, you're getting really.
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You know my first time here, I was 16.
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Yeah, that's right.
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I know.
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That's right.
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We were on Dancing with the Stars.
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And as I remind you each time I see you, I bet quite a bit of money on you and won quite a bit of money on you.
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Oh!
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I didn't win, but I got pretty far.
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Can I tell you, I think I won $12,000.
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What?
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Well, you're welcome.
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Thank you again, yes.
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But yeah, I don't know.
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Ever since I'm getting older, and it's just not comfortable to sleep that long anymore.
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I see now.
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I have no trouble.
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And as I get older, it makes no difference.
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I could fall asleep.
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I could literally lay down on this desk right now and fall asleep in front of you.
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Really?
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Yeah.
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And no neck pain, back pain?
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Well, there might be some of that.
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OK, but sleep right through it.
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I will sleep right through it.
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It'll be nothing but a puddle of drool on the table.
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You, by the way, I know you're getting, like, incredible reviews for this movie, Challengers, which is I have to say, you had this.
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I got to ask you a couple questions.
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First of all, I know you had a premiere on Tuesday, right?
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Here in LA?
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Yes, yes.
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And I know you have a very big family.
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And they are often at your things.
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Were they at this thing?
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Yes, they were.
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Okay so you've got some very sexy scenes in the movie.
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Yes we do.
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And while I was watching it I was wondering if your family was gonna see those.
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Yes they have.
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They did.
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And do you warn them beforehand?
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How does it work?
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Well they know it's a rated R movie.
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Okay so I was like you know walking into this if you can't I can't handle the heat.
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Get out the kitchen.
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Uh-huh.
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But I forewarn them.
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But it was honestly my favorite part of night.
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Because I've seen the movie many times.
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OK.
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And I'm, you know.
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The producer on the film, right?
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Yeah.
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That too.
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Yeah.
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But so I know when the scenes are coming, right?
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So I basically, when those scenes were happening, I just was watching my family.
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Because they were behind me.
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So I just watched them the whole time.
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It was hilarious.
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Oh, you did?
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Oh, that's good.
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And it's starting, and they're like.
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And then I slowly get more uncomfortable, and then they're like.
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And then my little nieces were back there.
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I mean, they're grown-ups, but they're 18.
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They literally were like.
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It was my favorite part of the night.
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Who was most uncomfortable in your family?
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Most uncomfortable would, yeah, I think it would be my nieces.
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Your nieces.
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Yeah, they were just like.
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Oh, yeah, right.
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What are we looking at?
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Because they're at that age that any of the, even if they're watching Strangers, they might be uncomfortable.
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Yeah.
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And then they're watching their aunt.
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Yeah.
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You, um, Venus Williams was at your premiere, right?
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Yeah.
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Now that, Venus Williams watching you play tennis is probably scarier than grandma watching you have sex, right?
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I mean.
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There's no sex scenes in the movie.
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I just want to say.
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Yeah, right, right.
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I know, I know.
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It's steamy.
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Yeah, yeah.
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No, I was terrified, yeah.
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I found out that she was coming, and I, well, I found out literally while I was there, they were like, Venus is here.
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And I was like, what?
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First of all, I'm fangirling, so I'm already excited just to the fact, the honor that she would take her time to come and see this was so special to me.
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But then I thought, oh, I play tennis in this movie.
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And I really hope that she is not distracted by my tennis abilities.
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I really hope that it's convincing enough not to be.
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I watch a good amount of tennis.
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And I was very impressed by your tennis playing.
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Thank you.
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You're hitting the ball very, very hard.
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Are you really hitting the ball that hard?
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Or is there a trick there?
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Um.
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I don't know if I want to reveal my secrets.
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I see.
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OK.
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That's even better in a way.
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The ball may not be there.
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Ah.
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So you're hitting something, and then, yeah.
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It's funny because a lot of times when they do CGI, they'll use tennis balls, right?
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Right, for eye lines.
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And now there's the only thing that's not there is the tennis ball.
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We have a photograph.
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How old are you in this picture?
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Oh, yeah.
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I'm like two.
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And is this a real tennis ball?
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That is a real one.
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Or did you work that one in there too?
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We put that in post.
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Was that fun, being a tennis player?
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You know, it was.
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It was quite a challenge.
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I mean, I have such a respect for the game.
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Yeah.
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And, you know, I think all of, I don't know, naturally, you look at something, you're like, yeah, I could do that.
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You know, like, I could do that.
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And then you get up there, and it's not that.
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Right.
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Right?
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When that, I remember once being like, you know what, let me try to return a serve.
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Let me see if I can do this.
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From a pro?
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Well, yes.
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Mm-hmm.
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From one of our amazing tennis doubles.
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And that thing went by so fast.
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It's scary.
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I didn't even see.
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And at the time, I've since got LASIK, but at the time, I didn't have my glasses.
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So I really couldn't see it.
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I was like, John, I don't know where that ball just went.
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The imaginary ones are a lot easier to hit.
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A lot easier.
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Because you can decide with your imagination.
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Well, we're going to take a break.
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And we're going to see a clip from the movie.
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It's called Challengers.
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Zendaya is with us.
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We'll be right back.
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Imagine if you could turn Patrick Zavaya getting a guy who wins a slam.
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You still have a season.
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You still have one good season, and I need you to bring it out of me.
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So, what do you think?
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How are you?
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You want my best piece of advice for you?
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You want me to cut you?
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OK, quit.
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That is India and Dr.
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Conor in Challengers, which.
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How many times did you have to slap Josh?
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Surprisingly, not that many.
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Not that many.
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Not that many.
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Were you really slapping him, or was that fake too?
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You know, I have a good way of pulling it, so it doesn't, I'm making contact, but no sting.
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You have, as you know, very enthusiastic fans.
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In fact, I met a couple of them coming into work this morning.
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And they were like, please say hi to Zendaya.
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So hi.
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Yeah.
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I just want to share that.
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You're aware of these memes, I presume, that people will, yeah, like when you make a face like that, people will put words on it.
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And it seems like you get that more than most anyone.
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I didn't, I realize now that I have a very expressive face.
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Yes.
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I realize now from being, you know, I guess in interviews and doing things, like a lot of people send me screenshots of like my face.
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For instance.
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I don't know if it's from like my Disney days.
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This is one that goes around when you're eating and you catch someone staring at you.
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Which by the way, seems to literally be what's happening here.
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That doesn't even count as a meme.
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That's a caption.
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I was posing for that.
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Here, this is when you're.
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Here.
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That was here.
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That was here on this show.
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OK, when your crush has something that isn't funny, but you still laugh.
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Like, why?
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And this one is more about your wardrobe than you.
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But this is.
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I love this hat.
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When you want to sneak a hammer or rotisserie chicken into the movie theater.
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It's chic.
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It's practical.
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Yeah, Pharrell had a hat like this, right?
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He had a giant hat of this nature.
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Do you keep the hat, or is this a?
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I think law has the hat somewhere.
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Oh, nice.
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Again, I mentioned that people are very interested in everything involving you, so I want to ask you some random questions.
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OK.
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Have you ever received a speeding ticket or a moving violation?
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I have not.
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Oh, good.
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I've gotten close.
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What happened?
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Tom and I were rushing to a spin class with my mother.
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I was not going to do the spin class.
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He was going to do the spin class.
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Because I don't do that.
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But we were going a little fast.
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We were running late.
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And they recognized that he was Spider-Man.
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And we were fine.
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We got a warning.
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And everything was OK.
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Well, he's a crime fighter.
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Of course, there's a community there.
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All right, well, on that subject, spiders.
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Do you kill them or release them?
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I release them.
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Yourself?
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I cannot, yeah.
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I don't have the heart to do it.
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Would you go to space if you had the opportunity?
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I don't know if I would.
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I feel like that, so like the idea of it, because Interstellar's one of my favorite movies, Like, it would be an amazing experience, I'm sure.
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But my anxiety?
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Being in, like, a little metal container in space?
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I don't know if I can do it.
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This is the most important question that I'm going to ask you and perhaps the most important question that you'll ever be asked in your life.
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Because I really feel like you could help us make some headway with this.
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OK.
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Are you for or against daylight saving time?
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In other words, moving the clocks.
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Would you like moving the clocks, or do you like the clocks to remain exactly where they are?
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I personally find it a little confusing.
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So you are against?
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But I don't know.
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What is this like a bit?
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What are we?
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What's the general consensus?
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This is just something I'm very, well, I'll tell you what.
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You hate it?
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Oh, yeah, I hate it.
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What is about you guys?
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Were you?
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OK.
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Well, the audience has room, so.
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Is anyone for daylight saving time?
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Kill her.
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Get me.
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Round them up and throw them out.
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Two psychopaths in the audience.
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So when I have, like for instance, when the vice president comes and visits us here on the show, I can tell her Zendaya's against daylight saving time and you ought to get on board.
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If that's what the people want.
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Maybe we'll just rename it Zendaylight Saving Time.
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And it will stay perfectly sealed.
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Yeah.
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Well, it's great to see you.
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Congratulations on the movie.
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Challengers opens in select theaters on Monday and nationwide a week from tomorrow.
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Zendaya, everybody.
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We'll be back with Freddie and Yuri.
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About This Lesson

In this lesson, you will practice your English speaking skills by shadowing Zendaya during a lively interview. As one of the biggest stars in the world today, her conversational style provides an excellent opportunity to learn casual English, improve your pronunciation, and enhance your listening comprehension. By focusing on natural speech rhythms and expressions, you'll gain valuable insights into how to express yourself effectively in everyday situations. This lesson will also give you a taste of celebrity culture and the excitement surrounding film promotions, making your English learning journey engaging and relevant.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • Fashion inspiration: Refers to someone whose style influences your clothing choices.
  • Press tours: Organized visits or events where actors promote their films to the media.
  • Good packer: Someone who efficiently prepares their luggage for travel.
  • Knocked out: A colloquial way to say someone is sleeping deeply.
  • Traveling around the world: The act of visiting different countries or locations.
  • Downfall: A disadvantage or negative aspect of a situation.
  • Dancing with the Stars: A popular television show featuring celebrities who perform ballroom dances.
  • Quite a bit of money: An informal way to refer to a large sum of money.

Practice Tips

To make the most out of your English speaking practice with this video, consider using the shadowspeak technique. As you listen to Zendaya's interview, try to repeat her words and phrases immediately after she says them. Pay close attention to her intonation and rhythm, mimicking her tone for a more natural feel. This technique is particularly effective because it helps you absorb colloquial expressions and improve your fluency.

Because Zendaya speaks in a conversational tone, it’s beneficial to practice at a slower pace initially. If you find it challenging, use a shadowing app to adjust the playback speed, allowing you to gain confidence before moving on to normal speed. With each attempt, focus on pronunciation, stress, and the emotional nuances in her speech – this will enhance not just your speaking, but also your listening comprehension.

By engaging with this content and following these tips, you can effectively learn English with YouTube while enjoying the captivating world of celebrity interviews. Enjoy your practice!

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.

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