Zendaya

Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman Bio

Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman is an American actress and singer. The recipient of numerous accolades, including two Primetime Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Award, she was named by Time as one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2022. Her films as a leading actress have grossed over $3.9 billion worldwide. Born in Oakland, California, Zendaya began her career as a child model and backup dancer before gaining prominence for her role as Rocky Blue on the Disney Channel sitcom Shake It Up. She made her feature film debut as Michelle in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Spider-Man: Homecoming and is also known for her role in HBO’s Euphoria.

Early Life and Background

Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman was born in Oakland, California, on September 1, 1996. Her name derives from the Shona name Tendai, meaning to give thanks. Both of Zendaya’s parents were teachers. Her father, Kazembe Ajamu Coleman, is African-American with Nigerian ancestry, and her mother, Claire Stoermer, has German and Scottish ancestry. She has five older half-siblings from her father’s previous relationships.

Zendaya attended Fruitvale Elementary School, where her mother taught. She was described as energetic and outgoing at home but reserved and shy at school. At the end of the school year, her parents had her repeat kindergarten to help build her confidence. Around age six, she and two friends performed a play at school for Black History Month. At eight years old, she joined a hip-hop dance group called Future Shock Oakland, where she performed for three years. She also spent two years dancing hula with the Academy of Hawaiian Arts.

After deciding to pursue acting, Zendaya assisted her mother at the California Shakespeare Theater during summers. There she helped patrons with their seats and sold fundraising tickets, but her primary interest was in the theatrical performances. Her first acting role was as a silkworm in her school’s production of James and the Giant Peach. At age eleven, she began attending Oakland School for the Arts and was cast in several roles in area theaters, including Little Ti Moune in Once on This Island and Joe in Caroline, or Change. In 2015, she graduated from Oak Park High School.

Path to Celebrity

Zendaya began her career working as a fashion model for Macy’s, Mervyns, and Old Navy. She also appeared as a back-up dancer in a Sears commercial with Disney star Selena Gomez. In 2009, she was a featured performer in the Kidz Bop music video for its cover of Hot n Cold by Katy Perry. In November 2009, Zendaya auditioned for the Disney Channel sitcom Shake It Up. She originally auditioned for the role of CeCe Jones but was instead cast as Rocky Blue.

The first season of Shake It Up premiered in November 2010 and was watched by 6.2 million viewers, becoming Disney Channel’s second highest-rated premiere in its history. In 2011, Zendaya released Swag It Out as a promotional independent single. That same year, she performed Watch Me with co-star Bella Thorne, which peaked at number 86 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. The second season of Shake It Up premiered in September 2011. In 2012, Zendaya made her film debut as an aspiring magazine editor in Frenemies, a Disney Channel Original Movie.

Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman Career

Early Career (2009-2016)

In 2012, Zendaya signed with Hollywood Records and was announced as one of the celebrity contestants on the sixteenth season of Dancing with the Stars. At age sixteen, she became the youngest contestant in the show’s history at that time. Partnered with professional dancer Valentin Chmerkovskiy, Zendaya finished as the runner-up in May 2013. She released her debut studio album, titled Zendaya, on September 17, 2013, through Hollywood Records. The album peaked at number 51 on the US Billboard 200, preceded by the lead single Replay, which peaked at number 40 on the Billboard Hot 100.

In 2014, Zendaya starred in the Disney Channel film Zapped, playing a high school student whose phone gains the power to control boys around her. She was then cast as the lead in a Disney Channel pilot that became K.C. Undercover. Zendaya exerted influence over the renaming of her character and the retitling of the series, also deciding several elements of the character’s personality. K.C. Undercover premiered in January 2015. In 2016, she released Something New featuring Chris Brown through Hollywood Records and Republic Records.

Breakthrough (2017-2021)

In August 2017, Zendaya made her feature film debut, playing Michelle in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Spider-Man: Homecoming. She wore no makeup to her screen test, a decision carried through in production, and added her own embellishments to the character. The film grossed over $880 million worldwide, making it the sixth-highest-grossing film of 2017. Zendaya then starred in the original musical film The Greatest Showman, portraying a trapeze artist. She appeared on three songs from the film’s soundtrack, including Rewrite the Stars and The Greatest Show, which reached numbers 70 and 88 respectively on Billboard Hot 100.

In 2019, Zendaya began starring in the HBO drama series Euphoria, playing Rue, a seventeen-year-old drug addict who is also the series narrator. Critics praised her performance as truly astonishing and mesmerizing. That same year, she reprised her role as Michelle in Spider-Man: Far From Home. The film grossed over $1.1 billion worldwide, ranking as the fourth highest-grossing release of 2019. At the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards in 2020, Zendaya won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, becoming the youngest recipient of the award at 24.

In 2021, Zendaya starred in and produced Sam Levinson’s Malcolm & Marie, filmed during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. She voiced Lola Bunny in Space Jam: A New Legacy and portrayed Chani in Denis Villeneuve’s science fiction epic Dune. Zendaya then reprised her role as Michelle in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Her chemistry with Tom Holland and handling of the character’s emotional final beats received critical praise.

Notable Works and Milestones

For her performance as Rue Bennett in Euphoria, Zendaya won two Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, becoming the youngest performer to win the category. She also won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Television Series Drama. Her other notable film roles include The Greatest Showman, Malcolm & Marie, Challengers, and Chani in Dune and Dune: Part Two. Zendaya has collaborated musically with artists including Bella Thorne, Zac Efron, and Labrinth, contributing songs to various film soundtracks and the Euphoria series.

Established Actress (2022-Present)

In 2022, Zendaya co-wrote two songs for the second season of Euphoria: I’m Tired and Elliot’s Song, providing vocals on the former. She earned four Emmy nominations and won the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series award, becoming the youngest two-time acting winner. In 2023, she won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Television Series Drama at the 80th Golden Globe Awards. Zendaya joined Labrinth for a surprise performance at Coachella 2023, marking her first live performance in eight years. She reprised her role as Chani in Dune: Part Two, with critics praising her fierce, open-hearted performance as career-best work.

Zendaya starred in and produced the romantic sports drama Challengers, directed by Luca Guadagnino. She portrayed a former tennis prodigy who suffered a career-ending injury and became a coach. Critics noted the film as a brilliant showcase for Zendaya, whose on-screen magnetism was effectively channeled. She received a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture for Challengers at the 82nd Golden Globe Awards in 2025.

Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman Award Nominations

Zendaya has received numerous award nominations throughout her career. At the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards, she earned four nominations for her performance in the second season of Euphoria. Her nominations included Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series and Outstanding Drama Series as an executive producer. She has received Screen Actors Guild Award nominations and multiple Golden Globe nominations for both television and film work. Her nomination as an executive producer made her the youngest woman ever recognized in the Outstanding Drama Series category at the Emmys.

Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman Awards Won

Zendaya has won prestigious awards recognizing her acting talent and cultural impact. In 2020, at age 24, she became the youngest recipient of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her role as Rue Bennett in Euphoria. She won the same award again in 2022, becoming the youngest two-time Emmy acting winner. In 2023, she won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Television Series Drama. Zendaya also received the CinemaCon Star of the Year Award in 2023. Her achievements include recognition from fashion organizations, including the CFDA Fashion Icon award, making her the youngest person to ever win that honor.

Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman Family

Zendaya was born to Kazembe Ajamu Coleman and Claire Stoermer. Her father is African-American with Nigerian ancestry, and her mother has German and Scottish ancestry. Both parents were teachers, with her mother working at Fruitvale Elementary School where Zendaya attended. Zendaya has five older half-siblings from her father’s previous relationships. The family supported her early interest in performing, with her father relocating to Los Angeles when she was in seventh grade to help pursue her acting career while her mother remained in Oakland.

Personal Life

Zendaya owns a home in Los Angeles and a condo in Brooklyn. She is a vegetarian, stating her main reason for being a vegetarian is that she is an animal lover. She first publicly acknowledged her relationship with British actor and Spider-Man co-star Tom Holland in November 2021. The couple moved into a home in London together in 2023. They became engaged in December 2024. Zendaya has found the consistent media attention their relationship receives to be quite strange and weird and confusing and invasive.