It is hard to believe that Zendaya was so shy as a child that she had to repeat kindergarten for another year just to develop basic social skills. Today, Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman turns 30 as an indisputable icon of Generation Z after achieving something almost utopian in today’s entertainment ecosystem: becoming the most sought-after and magnetic actress of her generation without having starred in a single media scandal.
The closest thing to controversy occurred in 2015, when she was only 18. The actress attended the Oscars in a white dress and with striking dreadlocks. The next day, on a fashion-focused TV program, a host said about her: “Zendaya’s hair looks too heavy for her. It seems to smell of patchouli oil or perhaps marijuana.”
Those words triggered a huge storm on social media, but a calm and reasoned response from the subject followed. In a post on her social networks, Zendaya made clear that this description was based on a racist and simplistic stereotype about Afro hair: “To say that an 18-year-old girl with dreadlocks should smell of patchouli oil or of ‘weed’ is not only a stereotype, but it is outrageously offensive.”
That response completely changed the tone of the conversation about the incident, shifting from a cruel fashion gossip to a serious debate about double standards. Zendaya accepted the host’s apologies and said she hoped the incident would serve as a lesson for others. Years later, she stated in several interviews that this was the moment she realized the true reach of her influence.
From Disney star to global icon
Zendaya was born in Oakland, California. Her parents, teachers in public schools in underprivileged areas, chose for her a name that in Shona, a Zimbabwean language, means ‘to give thanks’. As a child, her shyness was the reason her parents encouraged her to pursue the performing arts. And when her mother took on a second job as theatre director in California, the young Zendaya spent summers there selling raffle tickets and memorizing lines from classic plays.
Una joven Zendaya en una imagen de 2011.
At eight, she joined a hip-hop dance company, while starting to work as a child model. In 2009, at 13, she auditioned for a Disney series called Shake It Up. When she got the role, her father left his teaching job and moved with her to Los Angeles, while her mother stayed in Oakland to continue working.
Shake It Up became a huge success, but Zendaya knew how to dodge the perils that come with a child actor’s career in Hollywood, as we have just seen with Hayden Panettiere. She chose patience. She did not rush to play leading roles, but accepted more modest supporting parts, such as in Dune or Spider-Man. It was in Euphoria that she had the opportunity to showcase her talent. Her portrayal of Rue Bennett earned two Emmys before she turned 27, and, at last, moved her away from the Disney star image.
Tomdaya: Hollywood’s Golden Couple
Another major milestone of her maturity has been the impeccable handling of her love life. In an era where celebrities’ relationships are almost broadcast by contract, her romance with British actor Tom Holland has become the gold standard of privacy in the digital era.
Tom Holland and Zendaya, promoting in London the latest Spider-Man installment.
Zendaya met Tom Holland in 2016 on the set of Spider-Man: Homecoming. Despite constant rumors, both persisted for years that they were only good friends. In July 2021, paparazzi photographed them kissing in a car in Los Angeles, and a few months later the actor made the relationship official on Instagram. When last June circulated AI-generated images of their supposed wedding, Tom finally confessed that the two had married in secret.
A talented actress, a fashion icon, a cultural symbol, and the taller half of a powerful Hollywood couple that everyone seems to adore. Zendaya has achieved all this by knowing how to exploits all her virtues: beauty, charisma, hard work, and a brilliant mind. A result that pays off: by 2026 she has amassed more than 3 billion dollars at the worldwide box office thanks to films such as The Drama, The Odyssey and Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
