Zendaya

"She is an autonomous creative force herself. A cultural icon in the making. A person driven by pure inspiration, empathy, and respect for her craft, who uses authenticity as a new superpower […] Zendaya is the future. And there is nothing more comforting to me. This is only the beginning.” Denis Villeneuve about Zendaya. Zendaya's journey into the spotlight began with her early works into the world of modeling, and later for the hit Disney Channel series “Shake It Up”. But Zendaya wasn't content to be confined to the small screen; she had her sights set on the silver screen. In 2017, Zendaya made her feature film debut in Spider-Man: Homecoming, winning over audiences and critics alike with her portrayal of Michelle Jones, a spin on the iconic partner of the webslinger named Mary Jane. Zendaya wore no makeup to her screen test, a decision that was carried through in production, and added her own embellishments to the role, looking to show her as a dryer, more awkward but more intellectual version of the character. She focused on making Michelle weird and different, making sure that a lot of young people, especially young women, could relate to that. After her success in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, she went on to star on multiple projects. In the 2017 musical “The Greatest Showman”, she sang alongside fellow Disney Channel star Zac Efron. In 2019 she played her most praised role yet, in the HBO gritty teenage-drama series “Euphoria”, where she played Rue, the self-destructive and self-loathing protagonist. And in the 2020s, she broke into yet another sci-fi saga in the first two installments of the “Dune” series, taking on the part of Chani, Timothée Chalamet’s love interest. Beyond her impressive resume in entertainment, Zendaya is also a passionate advocate for numerous causes, using her platform to raise awareness over social relief organizations, and joining several protests regarding women and african-american issues.