Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman celebrates her 26th birthday today. Her name means “giving thanks” in the language of the African Shona tribe. She was born in Oakland, California to teacher parents Claire Stoermer and Kazembe Ajamu Coleman. Her father is African-American, while her mother has German and Scottish ancestry; she is the youngest of five older siblings.
She began her career as a child model working for Macys and Old Navy and 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) Two years later, her role in HBO drama series Euphoria catapulted her acting career even further as a teenager 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.
We’ve compiled our favorite looks Zendaya has so graciously posted on her Instagram below.