Biography
Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman began her career as a child actor, dancer and model, rising to fame through the Disney Channel before establishing herself in Hollywood and the fashion industry, featuring on the front cover of American Vogue, collaborating with Tommy Hilfiger on a collection and using her platform to push for greater representation.
Zendaya, the daughter of two teachers based in California, attended the Oakland School for the Arts before leaving to work on the Disney Channel sitcom “Shake It Up” aged 14. On this show, she rose to prominence playing the character Rocky Blue between 2010 and 2013, before moving onto “K.C. Undercover,” for which she was also a producer. Since, Zendaya has featured in TV series and films including “Black-ish” (2015), “The Greatest Showman” (2017), “Spiderman” (2019) and “Euphoria” (2019).
The actor’s involvement in fashion began at a young age, when she featured in campaigns for the likes of Macy’s and Old Navy . However, she caught the industry’s attention at the Academy Awards in 2015, aged 18, in a Vivienne Westwood dress paired with dreadlocks — a look she then publicly defended, drawing the support from the likes of Solange Knowles, Viola Davis and Whoopi Goldberg, following a racially derogatory critique of the look.
More recently, Michael Kors , Versace and Tommy Hilfiger have dressed her at the Met Gala; she has featured in a Dolce & Gabbana campaign; and in 2019, she became the face of the Lancôme fragrance Idôle. She has also featured twice on the front cover of American Vogue — the first time for the July 2017 issue; the second for June 2019, shot by Tyler Mitchell — as well as gracing the front covers of Marie Claire, Paper, Glamour and InStyle.
Zendaya has also turned her hand at designing, launching an athleisure label in 2016 called Daya by Zendaya. In 2019, she showcased a design collaboration with Tommy Hilfiger, with the art direction from her longtime stylist Law Roach . A ‘70s-inspired line, the show was applauded for its diverse casting, featuring models including Winnie Harlow, Pat Cleveland, Debra Shaw and Halima Aden , with Grace Jones closing the show.
The actor currently lives in California and has a combined social media following of over 87 million.