Zendaya

Zendaya is an American actress and singer born in 1996, known for her dynamic performances across television and film. With a career spanning from Disney Channel hits to major studio blockbusters and acclaimed dramas, she has become a defining figure in modern entertainment.

Early life

Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman was born on September 1, 1996, in Oakland, California. Her parents, Kazembe Ajamu Coleman and Claire Stoermer, were both teachers at the time of her birth. Her father has Nigerian ancestry, and her mother has German and Scottish roots. Zendaya shares six elder half-siblings with her father’s prior partners. Her parents divorced in 2016. She attended Fruitvale Elementary School, where her mother taught. Described as energetic at home but shy at school, she repeated kindergarten to build confidence. Her father’s passion for basketball led to her early involvement in sports, which she later shifted to soccer and track before losing interest. At age six, she performed in a school play for Black History Month.

Career

Zendaya began her career as a child model and dancer. At age eight, she joined Future Shock Oakland, a hip-hop dance group, and later danced hula with the Academy of Hawaiian Arts. After deciding to pursue acting, she assisted her mother at the California Shakespeare Theater, where she observed performances and sold tickets. Her first acting role was as a silkworm in a school production of James and the Giant Peach. By age eleven, she was performing in local theater productions, including Once on This Island and Caroline, or Change. In 2015, she graduated from Oak Park High School.

Zendaya began her television career with the Disney Channel sitcoms Shake It Up (2010–2013) and K.C. Undercover (2015–2018), the latter of which she also produced. In 2011, she released singles 'Swag It Out' and 'Watch Me' with Bella Thorne. She released her debut studio album, Zendaya, in 2013, with the lead single 'Replay' peaking in the top 40 of the US Billboard Hot 100. Her duet with Zac Efron, 'Rewrite the Stars', from The Greatest Showman (2017) soundtrack, charted in the top 20 and achieved multi-platinum status. She also wrote and performed songs for the series Euphoria.

Notable roles and work

Zendaya made her film debut in Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) as Michelle Jones-Watson, a role she reprised in Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019), Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), and Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026). She starred in The Greatest Showman (2017), Dune (2021), Dune: Part Two (2024), and The Odyssey (2026). She also appeared in Malcolm & Marie (2021) and Challengers (2024). She played Rue Bennett, a drug-addicted teenager, in the HBO series Euphoria (2019–2026).