Unless you live under a literal rock, there’s a solid chance you’ve seen Zendaya on the big screen at some point another. From HBO’s hit series Euphoria to The Greatest Showman and many more, the California native is a bona fide A-list actress.
That said, most people don’t realize just how much she’s changed since coming onto the scene in the mid-2000s. Zendaya landed the role of Rocky Blue on Disney Channel’s Shake It Up in 2010 — and her career has been on a steady rise ever since.
Of course, Zendaya’s acting skills have grown immensely since her time on the children’s show. In fact, after starring as Rue Bennett on Euphoria, which aired in June 2019, she snagged a 2020 Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.
“I’m honestly speechless, my heart is just overflowing with love and gratitude. I’m so incredibly honored to work beside the talented people that I get to call family,” Zendaya gushed on Instagram in July. “I am a small piece of a big beautiful puzzle and I’m so proud of all of you.”
The “Rewrite the Stars” singer went on to thank “everyone out there who’s watched and given our show life,” as well as Euphoria creator Sam Levinson. “We out here Emmy nominated, y’all!!” Zendaya concluded.
As for her personal life, Zendaya was previously rumored to be dating her Euphoria costar Jacob Elordi, who plays Nate Jacobs on the NSFW teen drama. “They were flirty and seemed like a couple,” an eyewitness exclusively told Life & Style in February 2020 of the pair’s outing in NYC. “At one point, Zendaya put on Jacob’s New York Yankees hat backward.”
According to the onlooker, “Jacob was trying something on that Zendaya also liked and she joked that she was just going to steal it from him anyway.” The duo was spotted shopping at Metropolis Vintage near Union Square, where they bought a bunch of stuff including a vintage Grateful Dead tee. “They were both wearing matchy trench coats and took pics with fans,” the source added.
Nowadays, Jacob is dating model Kaia Gerber, and Zendaya seemingly made her new romance with Spider-Man: No Way Home costar Tom Holland Instagram official in September 2021.
After Tom wrote, “My MJ, have the happiest of birthdays. Gimme a call when [you’re] up xxx,” in a caption of the two on set together, Zendaya wrote in response, “Calling now,” with a red heart emoji.
“Zendaya and Tom started off as really great friends and stayed that way for a long while before things turned romantic,” a source told Us Weekly in August 2021, adding that the pair “work really well together because he makes her laugh and she really helps guide him through the world of celebrity.”
