Zendaya and John David Washington are the stars of the the upcoming film "Malcom & Marie" -- a black-and-white romantic drama that showcases a couple as their relationship is tested.
The film, out Feb. 5 on Netflix, is already getting Oscar buzz, however, some critics are fixated on the 12-year age gap between the actors.
Zendaya addressed this during an appearance on E!'s Daily Pop on Wednesday and attributed it to one simple thing,"I've played a 16-year-old since I was 16."
MORE: Emmys 2020: 'Euphoria' star Zendaya makes history with 1st ever win"You have to remember, also, people grew up with me as a child," the Euphoria actress, 24, added. "It's like watching, I guess, your younger sibling now, you know, they're grown ... So it's hard for people to wrap around the idea that I am grown in real life. You know, even though I do play a teenager on television still."
Washington, 36, didn't elaborate on the matter, but he did share that he was thankful they were able to film "Malcom & Marie" amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
"I didn't know what the industry was going to look like," he said. "I didn't know if I was going to have an opportunity to do what I love to do the most, which is act."