The 'Dune: Part Two' co-stars are professionals, but admit it can be a little awkward locking lips with a longtime friend on screen.
Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya are consummate professionals, but even they can admit that its a little odd to play out an on-screen romance with a longtime friend.
The pair sat down with their Dune: Part Two co-stars to speak with ET's Nischelle Turner about the upcoming installment in director Denis Villeneuve's adaptation of Frank Herbert's futuristic epic, and Chalamet and Zendaya shared their thoughts on how the sequel explores the romance between their characters Paul Atreides and Chani -- and how it can be a little awkward.
The pair has now worked together on the franchise for nearly five years and are close off screen, but totally platonic. Both are currently in high-profile relationships of their own -- Zendaya with Tom Holland and Chalamet with Kylie Jenner.
"It's definitely strange," Zendaya admitted. "I think both of us are just like, 'All right. This is our job. OK, we're going to do this.'"
"It's weird as hell, 'cause we're so close, platonically," Chalamet agreed. "In the scope of the movie, it's totally what is happening, but I also feel like we are so tight now that it really is just like another day at work."
"I don't know what that says about the nature of our jobs," he joked, "but it's just another day of work."
For Zendaya, the focus is more on the craft, and shaping the characters' stories, which helps take away some of the awkwardness.
"In this specific love story, I think we're so grateful to have Denis at the helm of this very special thing," she reflected. "He always found a way to somehow -- amongst all of the epicness that is the Dune universe -- find a way to carve out a very sentimental, beautiful love story that is, I feel, in many respects, earned."
Another difference, especially for Zendaya, coming off her Emmy-winning role on Euphoria -- a modern-day high school drama -- was crafting a love story in the unique language of the Dune universe, which is set thousands of years in the future.
"It was definitely something we were trying to understand, because you can't be like, 'What's up, shawty?'" she joked.
"You see, throughout the film, the moments between them. The things that are unsaid," she said of the characters' connection. "The glances between characters -- there's so much said just with looks. I think it happens with all the characters, and specifically Paul and Chani."
"I think we've built a lot just within brief glances, with whatever they're holding inside," the actress added. "[It may be] a brief moment between us, but so much can be said."
Dune: Part Two is in theaters March 1.
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