Zendaya

Zendaya is an American actress and singer who moved from Disney Channel stardom to one of the most visible film and television careers of her generation. Born Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman in Oakland, California, in 1996, she worked as a child model and dancer before breaking through on television. Her first major role was Rocky Blue on Shake It Up, the Disney Channel sitcom built around dance and teen friendship. She then starred in and produced K.C. Undercover, giving her an early producing credit while she was still primarily known to young audiences.

Zendaya's transition to adult dramatic work was unusually successful. On HBO's Euphoria she played Rue Bennett, a teenager struggling with addiction, grief and self-destruction. The role gave her a showcase far removed from Disney comedy and earned her two Primetime Emmy Awards for outstanding lead actress in a drama series as well as a Golden Globe. Her Euphoria performance is built around guarded humor, fragility and volatility, and it made her one of the youngest performers ever to win in the category.

In film, Zendaya became widely known as MJ in the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Spider-Man films, beginning with Spider-Man: Homecoming and continuing through Far From Home and No Way Home. Those films paired her with Tom Holland's Peter Parker and made her part of one of the era's biggest studio franchises. She also played Chani in Denis Villeneuve's Dune films, moving from a mysterious presence in the first film to a central emotional and political figure in Dune: Part Two. Other film work includes The Greatest Showman, Malcolm & Marie, Smallfoot, Space Jam: A New Legacy and Challengers, where she also served as a producer.