Zendaya is becoming one of the recognized actresses thanks to her impressive performances in "The Greatest Showman" and "Spider-man" films with Tom Holland. She started to gain prominence thanks to Disney Channel's "Shake It Up" that eventually led to other opportunities in films, music, and television. Here are some interesting facts about Zendaya that music lovers and moviegoers probably do not know yet:
Name Origin
Zendaya's full name is Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman. Her first name came from a combination of a word from the Shona language that means "to give thanks" and "zen," which her father has a thing for.
Talented Dancer
Zendaya started as a backup dancer along with Selena Gomez, Ross Lynch, Leo Howard, and other kids in a Sears commercial. She looked back and recognized how they all started from scratch that will eventually lead to something big.
"We were back up dancers; we weren't even the lead kids. It's funny where things evolved from, and it's cool to start small."
She later became one of the contestants in the dance competition series Dancing with the Stars.
"Shake It Up"
Zendaya rose to prominence thanks to buddy sitcom "Shake It Up" from the Disney Channel. She starred along with Bella Thorne as Rocky Blue and CeCe Jones, respectively. The two talented girls are backup dancers who aspire to make it big while dealing with school. The buddy dance series went on for three successful seasons.
"Spider-Man" Movie Date
The dancer-actress was cast as Michelle Jones or MJ, an obvious nod to Peter Parker's partner Mary Jane Watson, in "Spider-Man: Homecoming" and "Spider-Man: Far From Home." However, Zendaya also had a past with the superhero that is memorable to her. She shared that the first time she went out with someone romantically was on a "Spider-Man" movie date. The Michelle Jones actress likes Spider-Man because she believes the superhero is the one who most people can relate to.
Teen Spy
Zendaya produced and starred in the sitcom K.C. Undercover, where she plays like a teenage spy. The original title was "Super Awesome Katy," but she got it changed because "the title is whack." She also encouraged the executives to include a family of color and make her character terrible at singing or dancing.
Music Career
"The Greatest Showman" actress decided to make a career in music and released "Swag It Out" and "Watch Me" back in 2011. The latter track was a collaboration with Bella Thorne, her partner in "Shake It Up" sitcom. A year later, Zendaya's song "Replay" went up to the number 40 spot of the Billboard Hot 100. Her self-titled album entered the Billboard 200 at number 51 in 2013. Zendaya's song with Zac Efron "Rewrite the Stars" in "The Greatest Showman" went up the top twenty spots in multiple charts around the world.
UN Ambassador for HIV & AIDS
With the increase of HIV & AIDS cases in the US, Zendaya became an ambassador to raise awareness and encourage people to have a "normal" discussion about the issue. She visits South Africa, and there she saw the effect that it has on people. The singer-actress helped out unfortunate individuals who suffered because of the disease by raising donations and spreading awareness. She encourages everyone to get tested if the opportunity presents itself.
