Zendaya and Robert Pattinson were spotted on campus earlier today, with hundreds of students and faculty alike filling the sidewalk and paths around the Addison Gallery of American Art in hopes of catching a glimpse of the two actors. Rumors that Zendaya and Pattinson would make an appearance on campus began after trucks and various pieces of film equipment appeared in front of the Cochran Chapel and the Andover Inn yesterday night.
Some students spoke to crew members around the set, asking when the actors would arrive. Alex Giarnese ’25 was waiting with friends outside the Addison’s side entrance when Zendaya arrived.
“I am a huge fan of Zendaya. I have been watching films and TV shows she has been in since ‘Shake It Up’ and ‘K.C. Undercover’ on Disney Channel as a little kid. So this was incredibly exciting, because I’ve known her and her acting and her shows since I was really, really young,” said Giarnese.
He continued, “It all happened really quickly, but the production team came over to us and were like, ‘If you respect our space, then we’ll respect yours,’ and they told us where to stand if we wanted to see her. We happened to be there at the right time. She pulled up in her car and got out, and she waved at us. It was just really cool, even though we didn’t get to talk to her. It was cool to see her in-person because she’s been on my television for so long.”
Marcela Hernandez ’25 was able to view the set up close when her History 501 class took a walk around the filming area as part of a “learning in the real world” economics lesson. Hernandez described the excitement around campus that accompanied the actors’ arrival.
“I’ve watched Zendaya since ‘Shake it up’ and I’ve seen ‘Batman’ and both ‘Twilight’ series as well, so I was really excited. Tuesday night, I had asked the crew members… what they were filming. So I was able to know yesterday night that Zendaya and Robert Pattinson were on campus. Overnight, I had just gotten really excited, and when they actually arrived on campus it was very surreal. A lot of kids were screaming, a lot of videos were being taken, definitely an experience for the books,” said Hernandez.
Many students skipped classes to join the crowd on Chapel Avenue. Jasjit Hargun ’27 described how students in his Philosophy & Religious Studies 340 class attempted to get outside through the windows.
“I know one person opened the window [to the ethics classroom]. We heard a muffled noise coming from over at the Addison, and then a bunch of people crowded by the window. Two people started trying to open it; one person did end up opening it, and then Dr. [Kiran’ Bhardwaj was like, ‘No, you can’t climb out the window and go.’ Then, about half the class ran out of the room and then went to the sidewalk by the Addison’s side entrance to try and see her,” said Hargun.
Nina Capaldi ’27 pointed out how students in the crowd spent most of their time watching a static scene. She also described instances of students cutting commitments to wait for Zendaya and Pattinson.
“They were filming nothing, basically, they were just waiting to see if she would come. I know a lot of my friends completely skipped lunch, they skipped classes, they cut classes, they skipped their sports: they were just waiting to see if she would come out. And I know a lot of kids were screaming, and they were just excited and so hyped… There was a faculty kid there with this framed poster of Zendaya, and they were super excited, and they were waiting for her to autograph the picture. It was really crazy,” said Capaldi.
Zendaya and Pattinson are believed to be filming for the upcoming movie, “The Drama,” produced by Kristoffer Borgli with studio A24. The Phillipian will publish updates as more details unfold regarding their visit.
