Zendaya has been a Zen-slaya on the red carpet in recent years. It seems fitting that the Euphoria star’s name means “giving thanks” in the language of the African Shona tribe because that’s what we do every time we see her turn a piece of clothing into a work of art.
She was born Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman in Oakland, California, to teacher parents Claire Stoermer and Kazembe Ajamu Coleman on September 1, 1996. Her father is African-American, while her mother has German and Scottish ancestry; she is the youngest of five older siblings.
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Z began her career as a child model working for Macy’s and Old Navy, and as a backup dancer before gaining prominence for her role as Rocky Blue on the Disney Channel sitcom Shake It Up. She made her film breakthrough in 2017, starring as Michelle “MJ” Jones in Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017). Zendaya would reprise that role for the latter Spider-Man live-action films starring opposite her beau, Tom Holland. The couple has been dating since around 2016. However, they didn’t directly confirm their relationship for years until 2021, when they were spotted making out in Holland’s car in Los Angeles.
In 2019, her role in the HBO drama series Euphoria catapulted her acting career even further, starring as a teenager named Rue struggling with drug addiction. This led her to become the youngest winner of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.
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Besides her role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Zendaya has proved she can be quite the dramatic actress. In 2021, she starred alongside John David Washington in the black-and-white romance drama Malcolm & Marie. As for her latest film roles, Zendaya starred in the second Dune installment as Chani, the Fremeni who becomes Paul Atreides’ (Timothee Chalamet) love interest in the confirmed trilogy. Then, in Challengers, Zendaya portrays the role of Tashi, a former tennis prodigy turned coach. Married to a champion on a losing streak (Mike Faist), Tashi’s strategy for her husband’s redemption takes a surprising turn when he must face off against the washed-up Patrick (Josh O’Connor) – his former best friend and Tashi’s former boyfriend when they were teenagers.
Take a look below at how Zendaya consistently pulls off looks that are sultry, sexy, and sweet: