If you haven’t heard, Zendaya Coleman just shocked the internet by becoming the youngest woman to win Best Lead Actress in a Drama at the Emmys this past weekend. Not only is the actress just 24 years old, but she beat out award-winning actresses like Jennifer Aniston and Laura Linney. How did this happen? It seems like yesterday Zendaya was a Disney Channel star dancing on Shake it Up. The young actress has accomplished so much within the past few years, it’s hard to keep track. Here’s a complete timeline of Zendaya’s evolution, from child star to Emmy winning actress.
2009-2015: Shake it Up
Zendaya started Shake it up when she was only 14 years old.
2013: Dancing With the Stars
The young star and her partner, Val Chmerkovskiy placed second place overall.
2015: K.C. Undercover
Zendaya told Cosmopolitan that she starred in the show in an attempt to bring more diversity and realistic depictions of girls to Disney Channel.
2016: Became the face of Covergirl
2017: Spider-Man: Homecoming
This was Zendaya’s first feature film role. It was this movie that greatly increased the actress’ visibility in the industry.
2017: The Greatest Showman
2019: Euphoria
The show takes a more dark approach to depicting the realistic lives of teens in today’s world. Zendaya claimed her decision to take the role of Rue was based on the fact that the show “tells stories” and she hopes “somebody out there can connect to them and see themselves within it”.
Zendaya has clearly shown she is a very well-rounded and versatile actress. I’m sure her career and success will continue to grow. Her advocacy for representation in the film industry is admirable, her red carpet looks are phenomenal, and her acting is top-tier. If there’s anything we learned it’s that there’s no reason not to be obsessed with Zendaya Coleman.