"Zendaya explained, in her gracefully blasé way, that she 'just thought it was cool, like Cher or Prince.' Her ascent to rarified fame seems uncontested, with four film projects landing this year."
"From the outset, the right decisions were made. She began as a Disney fixture, first, as one of the leads in 'Shake It Up,' and later, in 'K.C. Undercover.'"
"The nuclear family was Black, apparently at the insistence of the show's young star. Zendaya had about her the air of a Raven-Symoné, the type of savvy young Black performer."
"This hyperawareness of Hollywood's machinery—and how Black actresses function within the caste system—shapes Zendaya's approach to her roles and public image."
Zendaya's career trajectory showcases her evolution from a Disney star to a leading actress with diverse roles. She has made strategic choices that have allowed her to avoid the pitfalls of a typical child star. Her early work in shows like 'Shake It Up' and 'K.C. Undercover' featured a Black nuclear family, reflecting her influence on representation. As she approaches thirty, Zendaya continues to navigate her identity as an actress, balancing her public persona with her personal growth and the expectations of her audience.
Read at The New Yorker
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]