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Credit: Walt Disney Records<\/p>\n
Zendaya has really come a long way as an actress. From her major Marvel role as MJ<\/a> in the Spider-Man movies to the acclaimed TV drama Euphoria (which is set to return amid the 2026 TV schedule<\/a>). With all of the A-lister’s success, some may forget that she got her start on Disney Channel<\/a>. That network brought the Emmy winner notoriety as a performer, but she’s now getting real about why she has a \u201creally complicated relationship\u201d with her former status as a child star (and I totally get it).<\/p>\n Back in the 2010s, teenage Zendaya was essentially a Disney Channel phenom, having led the shows Shake It Up and K.C. Undercover and starred in the sci-fi DCOM Zapped. Despite having success at such a young age, the 29-year-old shared with The Mirror<\/a> her completely understandable take on the costs and benefits of finding stardom so early in life:<\/p>\n I have a really complicated relationship when it comes to starting in the industry so young. On one hand I am grateful for the opportunities and experience then on the other, there is no doubt I missed out on a lot of regular teenage stuff. My parents were and are super protective of me. I wouldn\u2019t have been able to navigate being in the industry at such a young age without them.<\/p>\n It\u2019s true that the life of a child star isn\u2019t easy, for a number of reasons. An actor essentially grows up before the public’s eyes, which means going through adolescence and the awkward teen years as a public figure. On top of that, there are also the major pitfalls of fame that everyone can succumb to.<\/p>\n Fortunately, Zendaya didn\u2019t experience the dark side of child stardom that many others have experienced As the talented actress said, she had a strong support system, thanks to her parents. The Space Jam: A New Legacy star has also spoken highly of her folks, and it’s not surprising. Her mom\u2019s second job as a videographer<\/a> actually helped pay for her tuition at summer conservatories, where the starlet put her talents to the test.<\/p>\n Before spreading her wings in movies, Zendaya dealt with a wave of Disney Channel rejection<\/a>, as her attempts to land a role in The Descendants didn\u2019t pan out. However, a new window of opportunity opened when she landed her role in the Spider-Man movies, and that wouldn\u2019t have happened if she continued with Disney. She also eventually received the chance to play the lead role in HBO\u2019s Euphoria<\/a> after feeling a connection to her character, Rue. That show essentially opened the door for her to take on more mature content.<\/p>\n The former child star has also dipped her toes into other interesting pieces of work, like the movie Malcolm & Marie (which is streaming on your Netflix subscription<\/a>). There’s also her tennis romance film Challengers. At present, Zendaya\u2019s 2026 movie schedule<\/a> is stacked. She’s co-starring with Robert Pattinson in The Drama and working with fianc\u00e9 Tom Holland<\/a> in The Odyssey and Spider-Man: Brand New Day. On top of that, she’s also reprising the role of Chani in Dune: Part Three.<\/p>\n