While Zendaya is reigning over cable television, Angela Bassett reigns over broadcast television. Bassett became the highest-paid woman of color on broadcast television, earning above $450,000 for an episode as of 2021. Bassett’s pay includes her episodic acting as well as her executive producer credit on both 9-1-1 and 9-1-1: Lone Star.

Last February, Zendaya spoke with Shadow and Act Managing Editor Trey Mangum about what it is like to portray her Euphoria character Rue, who is still battling against herself in the midst of addiction.

“There’s a certain volatility that Rue has and an unpredictability in her pain because she’s also going through withdrawal at the same time,” she said. “So that adds a whole ‘nother element of not only physical pain, but fear of the physical pain that she knows she’s going to come in contact with. [It’s also] just a complete unraveling of the mind, of the body, of the spirit, everything. All the pain is coming to a head. And I think that’s really the root of all of it, is a deep pain and a deep sadness about who she is and who she’s become.”

“She’s kind of lost control of herself and her life and you can kind of see it in her,” she continued. “She’ll have moments of regret and then immediately moments of violence [and] anger…and then moments of sadness. It’s just kind of all over the place, which I think is deeply true to someone who might be experiencing so much of that at once. And it’s important to remember that she’s in the midst of dealing with addiction.”