Shakes It Up
Zendaya is only 24-years-old but she has already surpassed many of her peers in terms of success and impact. She has become the youngest actress to win the outstanding drama lead Emmy award, has starred in one of the biggest Marvel films to date, and has used her platform to spread awareness about social issues. There’s no other like Zendaya.
Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman was born in Oakland, California on September 1, 1996. Her parents, Claire Stoermer and Kazembe Ajamu Coleman, were both school teachers who saw her potential early on. She began her ascent to fame as a children’s model for brands such as Macy’s and Old Navy. She also dabbled in dancing, working as a background dancer in commercials.
She went on to attend high school at Oakland School for the Arts, where she placed an emphasis on theatre. In November of 2009 while still a student, she auditioned for the role of Cece Jones in Disney Channel’s newest TV show Shake It Up. Her audition wowed the casting team, causing her to win the role of Rocky Blue. The other main role of Cece was given to Bella Thorne. The show first premiered in November of 2010 and was watched by 6.2 million viewers! It became Disney Channel’s second highest-rated premiere in the network’s 27-year history. Due to the demanding film schedules and whirlwind fame, Zendaya moved to Los Angeles from her hometown and continued high school with an at-home tutor.
Shake It Up was incredibly helpful for Zendaya’s career; it placed her right in the spotlight and made her Disney’s next biggest star. Being a triple threat, Zendaya decided to impress the world with her singing chops while filming the show as well. She released “Swag It Out” and “Watch Me,” featuring Bella Thorne in 2011, with the latter peaking at #86 on the Billboard Hot 100. Noticing her potential, Hollywood Records signed her in 2012. The next year, she released her debut self-titled album on September 17.
While making music, she was also busy landing acting gigs. She completed season 2 and 3 of Shake It Up, with the show being cancelled after the third season in 2013. She snagged her first movie role alongside Thorne and other actors in the Disney Channel Original TV movie Frenemies in 2012, quickly following it up with her participation in season 16 of Dancing with the Stars (2013). She was paired with famed dancer Valentin Chmerkovskiy and at 16, became the youngest contestant on the show. Although she didn’t win the competition, she finished as runner-up behind Kellie Pickler and partner Derek Hough.
Continuing her work with Disney, she premiered as the main role in the Disney Channel Original TV movie Zapped in 2014. That same year, she also began filming for the Disney TV show K.C. Undercover, for which she landed the main role as K.C. Cooper, a teenage math genius who becomes an undercover spy. This wasn’t just another Disney project for Zendaya, however. She became heavily involved in the creation of the characters, family dynamic—and even the naming of the show. When Disney first recruited her to take on the main role, the show was called Super Awesome Katy. It was only after some nudging from Zendaya that the name was changed. “Do I look like a Katy to you?” she had asked the producers about the character’s name. She also insisted to become an executive producer on the show, a demand that was rightfully granted.
“It was either they did it, or I didn’t do it,” Zendaya shares about her tweaks to the show. “It’s understanding your worth. If you’re in a place where you can move the needle, then do it. I’ve been able to help show the young Disney kids other paths to go.”
K.C. Undercover came to fruition with Zendaya’s approved changes, including the featuring of a family of color, in 2015 and lasted three seasons until 2018. The show received praise and a high viewership, with its premiere alone attracting 3.5 million viewers.
While filming the popular teen show, Zendaya was calculating her foray into film. After turning down auditions that didn’t suit her, she finally found a character she liked—and it turned out to be one of the most iconic characters in the Marvel universe: Michelle (aka MJ) in Spider-Man: Homecoming. The movie came out in 2017 and grossed a whopping $117 million in its first weekend, ranking number one at the box office. Her character had a small amount of screen time in the first film as Michelle’s real identity was to be fully revealed in the sequel.
“The director [Jon Watts] prior to auditioning said [Michelle] gets bigger as the [storyline] goes on. I was like, ‘Dope. I’m here for the long game.’ I didn’t know she was going to be the sarcastic introvert. She’s a very guarded person and she doesn’t let a lot of people in. In the first movie, we just saw her shell,” Zendaya reveals.
She also made headlines for her performance as Anne Wheeler in the musical The Greatest Showman (2017) alongside Zac Efron, Hugh Jackman, Michele Williams, and others. The musical revolves around the retelling of early 1800s businessman P.T. Barnum, who goes on to create the world-famous Barnum & Bailey Circus. It brought in a worldwide total of $435 million at the box office and was nominated for one Oscar and three Golden Globes, winning in the category, “Best Original Song.”
After K.C. Undercover wrapped in 2018, Zendaya went on to star in the Spider-Man sequel: Spider-Man: Far From Home, which arrived in theaters in 2019. This movie outsold its predecessor, raking in a worldwide total of $1.132 billion. Zendaya’s character received far more screen time in this movie, revealing herself as MJ, Spider-Man’s famed love interest.
Leaving her squeaky clean Disney image behind once and for all, Zendaya also used 2019 to delve into her most daring project yet: Euphoria. The HBO show was derived from the Israeli series of the same name and follows a group of high school students dealing with gritty topics such as substance abuse, sex, and violence. Zendaya plays the main character, 17-year-old Rue Bennett, who relapses after a short stint in rehab. The series was created and is mainly directed by Sam Levinson with rapper Drake and Zendaya as executive producers. So far Euphoria has only released one full season but they are currently filming season two.
The show won three Emmys in 2020, with Zendaya taking home the award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, becoming the youngest actress to do so. Euphoria was additionally nominated for three other Emmys as well.
“It means so much to me,” Zendaya had to say about winning the Emmy. “Just to be mentioned in the category at all was something — and just to have [the other nominees] support me really filled my heart.”
Just one season of the popular HBO drama was enough to have audiences all over the world fall for the troubled characters. It provides a realistic, candid view into taboo topics rarely talked about, including the central theme of substance abuse and addiction. Zendaya shares that being able to tell these stories and have people relate to them is the most rewarding aspect for her.
“I think the most special thing is when people come up and say, ‘That was my story and I just want to say thank you.’ For every person who says something to me about what the show meant to them, it warms my heart and it means we’re doing something right,” Zendaya said.
Now with the new year comes two new Zendaya films set to debut. This month on February 5 she will star in the Netflix drama romance Malcolm & Marie alongside John David Washington. The movie stars the two actors as a couple; a director and his girlfriend. The premise centers around their relationship and how it is tested after they return home from his movie premiere and await critics’ responses. The movie world was written and directed by Euphoria creator Sam Levinson. Malcolm & Marie was filmed in secret in Zendaya’s house during quarantine last year.
“I was fascinated with this idea of shooting a film with just two characters…but it was also a little nerve-racking. When you’re putting your own money into it—I mean, I was literally using my own clothes on set and doing my own hair and makeup—it’s hard not to get a little bit insecure. It was one of the first times I just went for something, and I’m so grateful and proud of it,” Zendaya opened up about shooting the movie.
Her second film of 2021 is called Dune, featuring our January cover star, Timothée Chalamet. It’s set to debut on October 1, with the plot being about the son of a noble family entrusted with the protection of the most valuable asset in the galaxy. Also on the horizon for the noble actress is a third Spider-Man film, with rumors pointing toward a December 17, 2021 release date.
By Selene Rivera