Deepra Sarkar
Zendaya is a well-known name in the entertainment industry, being a successful recording artist and a talented actress on the rise. She was born in 1996 as Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman but now goes by just her first name. She is the youngest of five children born to Claire Stoermer and Kazembe Ajamu Coleman. She went to the same elementary school where her mother taught for two decades. Zendaya grew up performing for the California Shakespeare Theater in Orinda, California, where her mother had a summer job as the house manager.
She also received training at the student conservatory program offered by the theatre. When she was eight, Zendaya became a member of the hip-hop and hula dance-focused group called Future Shock Oakland. She stayed with the group for three years. Her theatre education continued as she enrolled in the CalShakes Conservatory Program and the American Conservatory Theater. She has also performed in on-stage productions of William Shakespeare’s ‘Richard III,’ ‘Twelfth Night,’ and ‘As You Like It.’
Zendaya then slowly branched out into modeling before landing a pivotal role in a Disney Channel sitcom. Her career in the entertainment industry took off thereafter, and she is currently one of the most sought-after young actresses. If you are wondering how Zendaya grew in her career and made her wealth, we have you covered.
How Did Zendaya Make Her Money?
Zendaya started her modeling career by working as a fashion model for Macy’s, Mervyns, and Old Navy. She also featured in music videos of several renowned artists, including Selena Gomez and Katy Perry. In 2009, she landed the career-making role of Rocky Blue in the Disney sitcom ‘Shake It Up,’ starring alongside Bella Thorne. The show made history by becoming Disney Channel’s second highest-rated premiere. Zendaya released “Swag It Out,” a promotional independent single, in 2011. Her song “Watch Me” featuring Bella Thorne obtained a #86 rank on the Billboard Hot 100.
She has also been on several tours for her musical works. Zendaya appeared as one of the celebrity contestants on the dance reality show ‘Dancing with the Stars’ in its sixteenth season. She and her dance partner Valentin Chmerkovskiy became the runners-up of that season. After this, she released her debut album in 2013. While Disney canceled ‘Shake It Up’ after its third season, Zendaya was cast in a Disney original movie, ‘Zapped.’ Zendaya then switched her record label to Republic and released her second album in 2015.
Zendaya made her feature film debut with Marvel’s 2017 superhero film ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’, where she appeared as Michelle. The film grossed $117 million in its first weekend. She also starred in the musical blockbuster ‘The Greatest Showman,’ opposite Zac Efron. In 2019, she was cast as the protagonist of the HBO drama series ‘Euphoria,’ for which Zendaya received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, making her the youngest winner of the award. In the same year, she reprised her role as Michelle (MJ) in ‘Spider-Man: Far from Home.’ She also stars in ‘Malcolm & Marie’ opposite David John Washington, with whom she co-produced the movie.
Zendaya has also established herself as an entrepreneur. In 2016, she created her clothing line, Daya, and launched a new lifestyle app, Zendaya. Daya was praised for the wide range of unisex clothing offered at an affordable price range. However, the company handling the clothing line could not deliver orders on time, and Zendaya finally withdrew her deal from the company. She personally apologized to fans and customers in an Instagram post, which has since been taken down.
Zendaya’s Net Worth
With the mega-success of ‘Euphoria’ and the ‘Spiderman’ movie franchise, the Emmy-winning actress has created a net worth of an estimated $15 million as of 2021. Since her career is on a definite upward trajectory, it seems like this sweet amount is bound to increase with time.
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