Zendaya

Early life

Zendaya was born in Oakland, California. Her name derives from the Shona name Tendai (meaning 'to give thanks'). Both of her parents were working as teachers at the time of her birth. Her father, Kazembe Ajamu Coleman, is a black American with Nigerian ancestry. Her mother, Claire Stoermer, has German and Scottish ancestry. Zendaya has six older half-siblings from her father's previous relationships: Latonja, Austin, Julien, Kaylee, Katianna and AnnaBella. Zendaya's parents divorced in 2016.

Zendaya attended Fruitvale Elementary School in Oakland, where her mother taught. She was described as energetic and outgoing at home but reserved and shy at school. At the end of her first school year, her parents had her repeat kindergarten to help build her confidence. Because of her father's passion for basketball, Zendaya's parents enrolled her in a local basketball team. After losing interest in the sport, she switched to soccer and track, but lost interest in those sports, too. At age six, Zendaya and two of her friends performed a play at school for Black History Month.

Career

2004–2009: Beginnings

At age eight, Zendaya joined Future Shock Oakland, a hip-hop dance group with which she performed for three years. She also spent two years dancing hula with the Academy of Hawaiian Arts. After deciding to pursue acting, Zendaya assisted her mother, who spent the summer working as a house manager at the California Shakespeare Theater. There, she assisted patrons with their seats and sold fundraising tickets, but her primary interest was in the performances. Her first acting role was as a silkworm in her school's production of James and the Giant Peach. At age eleven, she began attending Oakland School for the Arts and was cast in several roles in local theaters. Zendaya portrayed Little Ti Moune in Once on This Island at the Berkeley Playhouse. She played Joe—a role originally written for a male performer—at TheaterWorks' Palo Alto production of Caroline, or Change.

By the sixth grade, Zendaya had played Lady Anne in Richard III and Celia in As You Like It and had participated in a production of Twelfth Night. When she was in seventh grade, she and her father moved to a small apartment in downtown Los Angeles, while her mother remained in Oakland. She later reflected that her father was highly attuned to her ambitions, and she "missed a lot of fun things" while pursuing her dreams. In 2015, she graduated from Oak Park High School.

2009–2016: Disney Channel

Zendaya began her career working as a fashion model for Macy's, Mervyn's, and Old Navy, and appeared as a backup dancer in a Sears commercial with Disney star Selena Gomez. In 2009, she was a featured performer in the video for the Kidz Bop cover of Katy Perry's song "Hot n Cold". The same year, Zendaya was among 200 girls who auditioned for the Disney Channel sitcom Shake It Up, which follows two teenage friends who get their big break on the local dance show Shake It Up Chicago. She originally auditioned for the role of CeCe Jones, which ultimately went to her co-star Bella Thorne; Zendaya was cast as Rocky Blue. Disney Channel senior vice president Judy Taylor said Zendaya had a "great presence" and was "completely engaging".

The first season of Shake It Up premiered on November 7, 2010, was watched by 6.2 million viewers, and was the Disney Channel's second highest-rated premiere ever. In 2011, Zendaya released "Swag It Out", a promotional independent single, and starred in the book trailer for "From Bad To Cursed" by Katie Alender. The same year, Zendaya released the single "Watch Me" with Thorne, which peaked at number 86 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. It was also in 2011 that Target stores launched a clothing line inspired by the outfits worn by Zendaya and other Shake It Up cast members. The second season of Shake It Up premiered in September 2011. Zendaya made her film debut as an aspiring magazine editor in Frenemies (2012), a Disney Channel Original Movie. In February 2012, Zendaya's "Something to Dance For" was released as a promotional single for the soundtrack of the second season of Shake It Up.

In October 2012, Shake It Up's third and final season premiered. That year, Zendaya signed with Hollywood Records. She was later announced as one of the celebrity contestants on the 16th season of Dancing with the Stars. At age sixteen, she became the youngest contestant in the show's history at the time. She and her dance partner, the professional dancer Valentin Chmerkovskiy, finished as runners-up to Kellie Pickler and Derek Hough. Zendaya released her debut studio album, Zendaya, on September 17, 2013. The pop and R&B album explores love and heartbreak, and peaked at number 51 on the US Billboard 200. It was preceded by its lead single, "Replay", which peaked at number 40 on the Billboard Hot 100.

In 2014, Zendaya starred in the Disney Channel film Zapped as a high school student whose cell phone gains the power to control the boys around her. She was then cast as the lead in a Disney Channel pilot, Super Awesome Katy. She was unhappy with the name of her character and the name of the series, and lobbied for them to be changed. Ultimately, the character's name was changed from Katy Cooper to K.C. Cooper, and the show was retitled K.C. Undercover. Disney made the 16-year-old Zendaya a producer on the show after she insisted on it. The studio also agreed to Zendaya's demands that the series depict a family of color, and that K.C. not be talented at acting, dancing or singing, or be otherwise artistically inclined, to show audiences that there are "other things that a girl can be." K.C. Undercover premiered in January 2015.

2017–2021: Mature roles and stardom

In 2017, Zendaya appeared in the music video for Bruno Mars's song "Versace on the Floor" and made her feature film debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Spider-Man: Homecoming as Michelle "MJ" Jones-Watson. She wore no makeup and regular clothes to her screen test; producers Kevin Feige and Amy Pascal did not recognize her despite her fame. Zendaya described Michelle as awkward, intellectual, and "very dry". She found it refreshing to play a character who was "weird" and "different", and believed that many young people—and especially young women—could relate to Michelle. Zendaya added her own embellishments to the character, including carrying around a mug of "strange" herbal tea.

Spider-Man: Homecoming grossed over $880 million worldwide, making it the sixth-highest-grossing film of 2017. Zendaya then starred in the musical film The Greatest Showman (2017), portraying a trapeze artist who falls in love with a white man during a time when interracial relationships were socially taboo. She appeared on three songs from the film's soundtrack, including "Rewrite the Stars" and "The Greatest Show", which reached numbers 70 and 88 respectively on Billboard Hot 100.

In September 2018, Zendaya voiced the yeti Meechee in the Warner Animation Group film Smallfoot, which received positive reviews from critics. In 2019, she began starring in the HBO drama series Euphoria, an adaptation of the Israeli show Euphoria. She plays Rue Bennett, a 17-year-old drug addict who also narrates the series. The same year, she reprised her role as MJ in Spider-Man: Far From Home. The film grossed over $1.1 billion worldwide, ranking as the fourth highest-grossing release of 2019. In 2020, Zendaya won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her performance in Euphoria, becoming the youngest recipient of the award at 24 years old. In 2021, she starred in and produced Sam Levinson's Malcolm & Marie, filmed during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic under strict safety protocols and with a minimal crew. The film received mixed reviews.

Zendaya next voiced Lola Bunny in Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021). She accepted the role after Ryan Coogler approached her, citing both her admiration for him and her fondness for the original 1996 film. She also drew inspiration from her family's love of basketball for her performance. The same year, she portrayed Chani in Denis Villeneuve's science fiction epic Dune, the first installment of a two-part adaptation of the 1965 novel. Zendaya then reprised her role as MJ in Spider-Man: No Way Home.

2022–present: Established actress

Zendaya started 2022 with the release of Euphoria's second season. Having previously collaborated with Labrinth on the single "All for Us" for the first season, she co-wrote two more songs, "I'm Tired" and "Elliot's Song", also singing on "I'm Tired". For her acting performance in the second season, she earned four Emmy nominations at the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards. She became the youngest person in Emmy history to be nominated twice for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, and her nomination as an executive producer for Outstanding Drama Series made her the youngest woman ever nominated in the category. By winning the lead actress award, she also became the youngest person to win two Emmys. Zendaya next appeared in Elvis Mitchell's documentary Is That Black Enough for You?!? (2022).

At the 80th Golden Globe Awards in January 2023, Zendaya won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama for her performance in Euphoria, and received a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination the next month. During the second weekend of Coachella in April 2023, she joined Labrinth for a surprise performance of "All for Us" and "I'm Tired", which was her first live performance in eight years. She was also featured on "The Feels", the opening track of Labrinth's third studio album Ends & Begins. Zendaya next appeared in the documentary Invisible Beauty (2023) which focuses on the life and work of American model and activist Bethann Hardison.

In 2024, Zendaya reprised her role as Chani in Dune: Part Two. During filming, she experienced heatstroke because she did not drink enough water. She next starred in and produced Challengers (2024), directed by Luca Guadagnino. In the film, she plays a former tennis prodigy who suffered a career-ending injury and became a coach. She characterized the role as an opportunity to abandon her earlier image and portray a character closer to her own age. For her performance, Zendaya was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy at the 82nd Golden Globes.

In 2026, Zendaya reprised her role as Rue in the third and final season of Euphoria and starred opposite Robert Pattinson in the romantic drama The Drama. She appeared as the goddess Athena in Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey and as MJ in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. After finding MJ to be too "normal" in an early draft of the screenplay, Zendaya worked with the writers to give MJ more quirks.

Fashion and media image

Zendaya has been described as a "style star" by the fashion-industry trade journal Women's Wear Daily. She is recognized for her use of method dressing, a promotional fashion practice in which an actor incorporates elements of a film's themes, characters, or aesthetics into their red carpet and press appearances. She began the practice following her work on The Greatest Showman. Zendaya is known for her longtime partnership with stylist Law Roach.

Zendaya has served as the face of several major brands, including Beats Electronics, Material Girl, CoverGirl, and Chi Hair Care, and has modeled for designers such as Michael Kors and Dolce & Gabbana. In August 2013, Zendaya published her first book, Between U and Me: How to Rock Your Tween Years with Style and Confidence, which she wrote to "help girls through the tougher parts of the tween years". Two years later, she launched her first shoe collection, Daya—named after her childhood nickname—and followed it in November 2016 with her clothing line, Daya by Zendaya. The brand's second collection was gender-fluid and offered a full range of sizes.

In 2016, Zendaya was featured on Forbes' 30 under 30 list. She was included on Time's annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2022; Dune director Denis Villeneuve called her "a cultural icon in the making. The same year, Variety ranked Zendaya on its list of the 500 most influential figures in global media. She was ranked as one of the best-dressed women in 2018 by fashion website Net-a-Porter. For the September 2020 InStyle issue, she and her stylist Law Roach chose to use all Black designers, artists, and creatives. In October 2020, she won the Visionary Award at the CNMI Green Carpet Fashion Awards for "promoting diversity and inclusion in fashion and film". In November 2021, she became the youngest person to ever win the CFDA Fashion Icon award at the CFDA Fashion Awards.

In October 2018, Zendaya became a brand ambassador for Tommy Hilfiger and co-designed the Tommy x Zendaya capsule collections, drawing inspiration from the 1970s and its "strong, iconic women". Her Paris and New York Fashion Week shows were acclaimed for their celebration of diversity and inclusivity, featuring women of color, plus-size models, and models up to seventy years old. Zendaya became a spokesmodel for Lancôme in 2019, followed by Bulgari and Valentino in 2020. In 2022, she was named the global brand ambassador for Glaceau Smartwater, and in 2023, she became an ambassador for Louis Vuitton. Zendaya has been the face of footwear company On since 2024, and she became an ambassador for Rolex in 2025.

Philanthropy and activism

Zendaya has lent her support to several charities and causes. In 2012, she became an ambassador for Convoy of Hope and encouraged fans to support Hurricane Sandy response efforts. In 2013, she promoted other relief efforts. In 2014, Zendaya recorded John Legend's song "All of Me" with a portion of the proceeds going to the organization. In 2016, she celebrated her 20th birthday with a campaign to raise $50,000 to support Convoy's Women's Empowerment Initiative. In 2012, Zendaya performed at the medical Operation Smile benefit. She was UNICEF's Trick-or-Treat 2014 campaign spokesperson. In July 2015, she visited South Africa with UNAIDS, the United Nations program dedicated to preventing and creating access to treatment for HIV and AIDS. She also held a fundraiser with Crowdrise, with proceeds going to nonprofit, community-based, Ikageng charity in Soweto for a family of AIDS orphans. When Malcolm & Marie, filmed during the pandemic, was sold in September 2020, a portion of the proceeds was shared with Feeding America. In October 2023, she voiced support for Palestine.

Zendaya supports campaigns to raise awareness about underserved communities and underprivileged schools and to financially support schools. In 2017, she became a spokesperson for the Verizon Foundation's #WeNeedMore initiative, which seeks to bring technology and learning opportunities to children. In 2018, she partnered with Google.org to fund a computer science program at an Oakland school.

Zendaya considers herself an intersectional feminist. She took part in the George Floyd protests in June 2020 and temporarily lent her Instagram account to Patrisse Cullors to share anti-racism resources and media. She has been an advocate for voting; in October 2016, she participated in the "Vote Your Future" initiative, and in September 2020, she and her nonpartisan "When We All Vote" organization encouraged fans to check their voter registration ahead of elections. In October 2013, Zendaya took part in P&G's anti-bullying campaign Mean Stinks, co-hosting a nationwide live-streamed assembly with nearly 500 schools. In September 2017, she and her Spider-Man: Homecoming co-stars were featured in a PSA for the awareness campaign Stomp Out Bullying.

Personal life

In November 2021, Zendaya and her Spider-Man co-star Tom Holland confirmed they were in a relationship. Zendaya felt the media attention their relationship received was "weird and confusing and invasive". The couple moved into a £3 million home in London in 2023 and became engaged in December 2024. During the 32nd Actor Awards in March 2026, Zendaya's longtime stylist Law Roach announced that she and Holland were secretly married. Holland confirmed their marriage during an interview with Esquire UK that June. The couple held a private wedding celebration two months later in Surrey. Zendaya also owns a house in Los Angeles and a condominium in Brooklyn. She is a vegetarian due to her love for animals.

Filmography

Discography

Zendaya (2013)

Awards and recognition

In 2020, at age 24, Zendaya became the youngest recipient of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, winning for her role as Rue Bennett in the HBO drama series Euphoria. After winning the award again at the 2022 Primetime Emmy Awards, she became the youngest two-time acting winner. Zendaya received the CinemaCon Star of the Year Award in 2023.

Concert tours

Swag It Out Tour (2012–2014)

Opening act

Summer Tour (Bridgit Mendler) (2014)