Zendaya

Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman was born on September 1, 1996, in Oakland, California, to parents Claire Stoermer and Kazembe Ajamu Coleman, both teachers. Her early life involved significant exposure to the performing arts. She trained in hip-hop dance with Future Shock Oakland, was a member of the Academy of Hawaiian Arts hula troupe, and performed in various stage productions at the California Shakespeare Theater, Berkeley Playhouse, and TheatreWorks in Palo Alto. These early experiences included roles in plays such as “Once on This Island” and “Caroline, or Change.” She also modeled for brands including Macy’s, Mervyns, and Old Navy, and appeared as a backup dancer in a Kidz Bop music video.

Her career breakthrough came in 2010 when she was cast as Rocky Blue in the Disney Channel sitcom “Shake It Up,” a role she held until 2013. During this period, she also released her debut single, “Swag It Out” (2011), and her self-titled album “Zendaya” in 2013, which featured the hit single “Replay.” Her Disney Channel work continued with roles in the films “Frenemies” (2012) and “Zapped” (2014). From 2015 to 2018, she starred as K.C. Cooper in the Disney Channel series “K.C. Undercover,” where she also served as a co-producer.

In 2017, Zendaya made her major film debut as Michelle “MJ” Jones in “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” a role she reprised in “Spider-Man: Far from Home” (2019) and “Spider-Man: No Way Home” (2021). That same year, she starred as Anne Wheeler in the musical drama “The Greatest Showman.” She gained widespread critical acclaim for her role as Rue Bennett in the HBO series “Euphoria,” which premiered in 2019. Her performance earned her two Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 2020 and 2022, making her the youngest two-time winner in this category. Further film roles include Chani in Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune” (2021) and “Dune: Part Two” (2024), and Tashi Duncan in “Challengers” (2024).