Fear of “having an accident” led to Zendaya getting dehydrated and suffering heatstroke on the set of Dune: Part Two

Sometimes, there’s nothing worse than needing to pee at an inopportune time. I encounter this scenario every time I go to the cinema or a concert venue. You don’t want to miss a moment show, unsure of what the bathroom line looks like or what you’ll need to contend with after you enter the stall. The call of nature is especially sensitive for actors, who wear complicated costumes throughout the day. Some costume designers design outfits with bathroom trips in mind, but not all ensembles come with zippers and butt flaps. Moreover, some bathrooms are a considerable distance from the set, making trips to the washroom time-consuming and inconvenient for all involved. While working on Dune: Part Two, Zendaya learned a thing or two about dire bathroom needs and even put her health at risk to avoid “having an accident.”

Speaking with W Magazine, Zendaya said she suffered heatstroke on the set of Denis Villeneuve‘s Dune: Part Two because she stopped drinking water on the film’s scorching Jordan desert set. “I had such a fear of peeing myself or shitting myself, honestly, in the suit on set,” Zendaya told W Magazine about her fear of soiling her Fremen warrior body armor.

“We were in Jordan. It was very hot, and I remember thinking, ‘Oh, man, the bathrooms are so far away,’ because we had to hike to the locations,” Zendaya said. “If you have to pee, you need at least 10 minutes to get out of the costumes. I was like, ‘Damn, I don’t want to drink too much water.’ I had such a fear of peeing myself or shitting myself, honestly, in the suit on set. One day, I didn’t drink enough and I had a heatstroke. I felt so barfy. I remember calling my mom on the bathroom floor, saying, ‘I feel terrible.’ She was like, ‘Did you drink water today?’ I said no. I thought I was being smart, but you can’t do that. So, lesson learned.”

While I understand the impulse to skip your water intake in a situation like this, do not follow Zendaya’s example. Water is a crucial part of your existence; we need it to survive. Not drinking water in a desert is ill-advised, and Zendaya is lucky to have recovered quickly. Hollywood should have costuming, and restroom location mandates that guarantee easy costume removal and bathrooms within a specific distance from the set. Someone smarter than me can figure out the logistics, but it’s not a bad idea.

When is the worst time not to have easy access to a bathroom? Let us know in the comments section below.