Eras of Her: Zendaya’s Truth
Known as one of Disney Channel’s biggest stars, girlfriend of Tom Holland, fashion icon, and so much more, Zendaya is one of today’s most favored celebrities. Known mostly because of her outstanding performances that started long ago when she was just a teenager, she is celebrated for her striking appearances in numerous movies and shows including, but certainly not limited to, Euphoria, Spiderman, Shake It Up, The Greatest Showman, and much, much more.
But, this actress is only part of the Zendaya that people know. Who is she behind all of the costumes, makeup, and stages? Is there anything especially remarkable about her performances or her persona aside from her talent of acting?
Born and raised into Generation Z, Zendaya is an advocate and icon for causes that not only seem important to her, but that she knows are also extremely important to all of her fans, as well. When looking at her work with her shows, movies, music, and dancing, it seems that there is a greater purpose and story behind her performances that she specifically intended for.
For example, did you know that in her show, K.C. Undercover, she asked for her character to resemble specific attributes? For her role as the lead character, K.C. Cooper, Zendaya requested that she not have any major talent, such as singing or dancing, and she just be an ordinary girl navigating the hardships of her teen years, puberty, and public school. In an interview with Vogue in 2017, Zendaya stated that she “wanted to make sure that [her character] wasn’t good at singing or acting or dancing. That she wasn’t artistically inclined … There are other things that a girl can be…I want her to be martial arts-trained. I want her to be able to do everything that a guy can do … But I also want her to be socially awkward, not a cool kid. I want her to be normal with an extraordinary life.”
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Along with her acting, her appearances at major events seem to also have a deeper meaning. Arriving at the 2015 Oscars with her hair in long, beautiful dreadlocks, she exclaimed later in an Instagram post, after receiving negative feedback from a reporter, that she wanted to represent her African American heritage and what certain hair styles can represent. “…My wearing my hair in locs on an Oscar red carpet was to showcase them in a positive light, to remind people of color that our hair is good enough. To me, locs are a symbol of strength and beauty …”
As a result of her powerful movement, along with the backlash she recieved from one reporter that will remain unnamed, Mattel recreated her red carpet look into a Barbie doll made just for Zendaya. She adored the consideration and thought that went into the detailing of the miniature figure and thanked Mattel, by exclaiming how excited she was that it looked just like her with the hair, outfit, and even the jewelry she wore on that special night.
Photo courtesy of Deposit Photos
More than just a pretty face and a strong actress, Zendaya is on a mission to ensure that all voices are heard and all genders and people of color are seen.
“Let’s practice motivation and love, not discrimination and hate.” — Zendaya
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