Zendaya on âMalcolm & Marieâ and That Toxic Relationship The actress has heard both the praise for her performance and the criticism of the film. She sees it differently. Zendaya said she and the director, Sam Levinson, discussed the depiction of a Black character like Marie. “I thought a lot of conversations I had with Sam came through.”Credit...Brad Ogbonna for The New York Times By Gina Cherelus Feb. 21, 2021 When Zendaya began production of âMalcolm & Marie,â the made-during-lockdown Netflix drama she stars in with John David Washington, she never imagined that it would spark both strong criticism and award-season buzz.