Child star: Zendaya, the icon of a generation

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From Disney Channel to Spiderman, Zendaya has come a long way. Actress, singer, model, dancer and producer, the young woman has become a key personality in Hollywood. At 25, she shines as much for her talent as for her commitment. Back on a dazzling success.

The world discovered her as the rebel Rocky Blue in the Disney Channel series "Shake It Up". Today, she plays in the biggest international blockbusters. Zendaya Coleman has made a name for herself in the world of cinema and fashion, establishing herself as an essential actress.

The makings of a superstar

Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman was born in Oakland, California in 1996. She grew up in the midst of different cultures with a mother of German origin and a Zimbabwean and Congolese father. Her first name comes from the Zimbabwean language and means "to give thanks", as she explained in an interview for the British version of "Vogue". Encouraged by her mother, a theater director, she studied at the Oakland School of the Arts during her teenage years. She played for the first time in a toy commercial, "ICarly", in 2009, alongside Stefanie Scott. Subsequently, she was hired as a model for several brands such as Macy's, Old Navy and Mervyns. Before starting her acting career in the musical "Once on this Island", in which she plays the role of Ti Moune, then in the show "Caroline Or Change". The young woman quickly decides to be called only by her first name. In an interview for “GQ”, she says: “As a young girl, I thought the unique nickname looked good. She thought it was cool, like Prince. She was only 12 years old when her manager encouraged her to take her first name as a stage name, she remembers that it confirmed her decision. She confides to “Variety” that she replied: “Yeah, like Beyoncé? »

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A shy child

Model, actress, but also dancer, Zendaya participated with Selena Gomez in the clip "I'm Gonna Arrive" by Sears Commercial. She says in an interview for the magazine “W”: “When I was a child, what interested me the most was dancing. When I was 8, I was part of a hip-hop troupe. »

But it was in 2010 that her career took off when she was selected to participate in the Disney Channel series “Shake it Up”. She plays the character of Rocky Blue and gives the reply to Bella Thorne, who plays CeCe on the screen. The scenario is simple but effective: two young women who both aspire to become professional dancers meet and try to realize their dream. The program is a success in the United States and around the world. The teenager's family moves to Hollywood so that she can work in the best conditions. In 2011, Zendaya was nominated for the Teen's Choice Awards, in the category best actress in a television series, thanks to her role. The following year, she played in the film "Friendenemies", still in tandem with Bella Thorne. The feature film seduced the public and Zendaya was nominated for the Kid's Choice Awards as best actress in a comedy. If everything succeeds, the actress is still a child. Naturally shy, the young girl is very afraid of failing and faces a lot of pressure: "I always had this fear of failing and not doing well," she told "GQ". . She continues: “I was extremely shy, to the point that my parents sought advice on dealing with this problem. I remember my stylist saying to me, “You are cold. People think you're mean because you don't talk." When in reality, I was just very stressed and nervous. She adds, “Even years later, I'm still trying to overcome that childhood shyness that defined me. »

“I owe everything to my family”

Very surrounded by her family, the young woman never let herself be impressed and always knew how to impose her limits despite her young age. In an interview for the English version of "Vogue", she remembers having refused to kiss one of the actors of the series during filming: "I remember saying: 'I'm not going to do that. kiss on the cheek because I haven't been kissed yet and I don't want that kiss to be filmed." Claire Stoermer and Kazembe Ajamu Coleman have always been there for their daughter and supported her in each of her projects. The proof: Zendaya was first destined for a career as a basketball player. Both of his parents played basketball when they were children, so it was natural for them to encourage him in this direction. "I was supposed to be a basketball player, not an actress," she says in "The Bay State Banner." She quips: “My father was my physical education teacher. So I had no break, he coached me on a daily basis. ". But while her parents are already imagining her having a career in the NBA, her plans change and she turns to comedy: “I want to perform on stage, I want to be an actress. Once again, his parents will give him their full support. In 2016, guest on the Ellen DeGeneres show, she said: “I have to say that I owe everything to my parents, I am very lucky to have the parents that I have. They have always instilled in me fundamental values ​​that help me on a daily basis. I owe everything to my family. »

A role model for young people

In 2013, when the “Shake it Up” series came to an end, Zendaya decided to release her first album, simply called “Zendaya”. The same year, she participated in the American show "Dancing with the Stars" and qualified for the final. "I'm glad I got this far and I think that's the thing I have to take away from this journey," she told "MTV News" at the time. After music and dance, Zendaya launches into writing. Her book "Between U and Me: How to Rock Your Tween Years with Style and Confidence" aims to help young teenage girls through this sometimes complicated period with several tips. “Adolescence can be a very cool and exciting time, but it can also be a difficult time in a young girl's life. This is the moment when you find your way and your own style too. […] I hope this book will help young girls get through the tough times and enjoy the good times of adolescence. “, explained Zendaya to “Business Wire” in 2013. Unlike many child stars made famous thanks to Disney Channel, Zendaya did not seek to move away from the channel since in 2015, she signed to play in a of their new series: "KC Undercover". “I agreed to play again in a Disney Channel series on one condition: to be in a position of power,” she told “Cosmopolitan” in 2016. Zendaya wanted her character to allow young girls from different origins to identify with a heroine, but also to break the codes of the classic Disney Channel heroine. “What is very important to me is diversity. It's hard for a teenager to watch television and not see anyone who looks like them. Representation is essential,” she says. She continues: “I wanted to be sure that my character was not good at singing, dancing or acting, that she was not a heroine with artistic talents. A girl can be anything but that. I wanted my heroine to practice martial arts, to be able to do everything a man can do. But I also wanted her not to be “the cool girl” that she struggles with in her social life too. I wanted her to be a normal girl with an extraordinary life. »

A committed artist

Very proud of her origins, Zendaya has become a figure in the fight against racism in Hollywood. “As a young woman, who is constantly changing herself, I find it very important to teach other young people to know who they are and to be proud of it. From the moment I was born, I knew who I was. Everything was already summed up in my name”, she assures “The Hollywood Reporter”. The actress claims her African identity: “I have an African first name. My middle name is my mother's middle name. It's a French name, but my parents spelled it differently to give it an African pronunciation. Then I have “Stoermer” and “Coleman”, I literally have a timeline of my family history in my name. This name is me. I come from Africa, just like I come from Germany and I am very proud of this heritage. “In 2015, it is therefore quite natural that Zendaya goes to the Oscars ceremony with her hair styled in dreadlocks. A choice that will earn him negative reviews from the journalist of “E! News”, Giuliana Rancic. The latter had made controversial remarks, claiming that the star's dreadlocks must smell "monoï or worse marijuana". The actress then replied in an Instagram post: “Between a joke and a lack of respect, the line is very fine. […] By wearing dreadlocks on the Oscars red carpet, I wanted to show them off, to remind people of color that our hair is beautiful the way it is. For me, dreadlocks are a symbol of strength and beauty…” To support her point, that year, Zendaya collaborated with Mattel. The brand created a barbie inspired by her look that day. She also fights against the standards of beauty imposed on women. In 2015, after posing on the cover of the magazine "Modelist", she noticed that her photos had been very retouched. Annoyed, she decides to denounce this practice on Instagram by revealing the original photo without retouching: "I had a photo session today and I was shocked to discover that my hips and my torso, which are those of a 19-year-old woman, were transformed into the images. It's things like this that create unrealistic ideals of female beauty. After it was published, the magazine eventually removed the pre-edited images from the magazine and apologized to the star. Some time later, she became the face of the CoverGirl brand in order to "celebrate the beauty of all women, regardless of their origins and their skin colors", as she explained on Instagram.

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A dazzling success

Zendaya has also become a fashion icon, with every appearance she makes on a red carpet being scrutinized by millions. The star has fun composing colorful, eccentric and sometimes even fairy tale outfits like her Cinderella dress worn at the Met Gala. The announcement of the launch of her “Daya” clothing line was therefore not a big surprise in 2016. Her collections were intended to be unisex in order to be accessible to everyone and to break fashion codes. From 2017, Zendaya returns to the cinema and plays major roles. She plays the character of Michelle Jones in "Spiderman: Homecoming", she then shares the poster with Zac Efron in "The Greatest Showman". At the same time, she became the face of Lancôme and collaborated with Tommy Hilfiger. She also tries her hand at dubbing cartoons like in “Yéti & Compagnie”. She turns in a second Spiderman called "Spiderman: Far From Home" in 2019, before becoming the star of the HBO series "Euphoria". On screen, she plays Rue, a young teenager who has to deal with depression and her addiction to drugs. A way for the actress to lift the veil on subjects that are still taboo among young adults. In 2021, while the Covid-19 pandemic is paralyzing the film industry, Zendaya and her friend Sam Levinson have the idea of ​​shooting a film despite the confinement. Filmed entirely at night, the black and white feature film "Malcolm & Marie" reveals the full range of emotions that the actress is able to exploit while acting. Beyond her performance, Zendaya is also the producer of the work. This year, she also has a role in the hit film: “Dune”, alongside Timothée Chalamet and in the brand new part of the “Spiderman: No way home” saga. The actor who embodies the superhero is none other than Tom Holland, her companion with whom she has been living a great story for several months. Having become a great actress, Zendaya allows herself to think even bigger, without forgetting the causes for which she fights. Last October, she told the British version of “Vogue”: “If I ever become a director, I know that the protagonists of my films will always be black women. »

Zendaya was born in 1996 in Oakland.

As a child, she dreamed of becoming a basketball player

Her parents are her biggest support

She begins by playing in pubs and musicals

In 2010, she was selected to play in the Disney Channel series "Shake It Up"

She then plays in the film "Friends" with Bella Thorne

She participates in the American version of "Dancing with the stars"

She plays in 2015 in the Disney Channel series "KC Undercover"

In 2015, Zendaya breaks the codes and goes to the Oscars with dreadlocks

She poses for the magazine "Modeliste" and refuses to be retouched

In 2017, she played Michelle Jones in Spiderman

She then became the star of the series "Euphoria"

She produces and plays in the film "Malcolm & Marie"

She gives the answer to Timothée Chalamet in "Dune"

She is on the poster of the new Spiderman alongside her companion Tom Holland

Zendaya now dreams of being a director