Zendaya reveals why she will never be ashamed of her 'Disney kid' tag

Zendaya has proven to be quite a formidable force in Hollywood, as the multi-talented actress has recently opened up about being unabashedly proud of her former Disney kid status. In a recent conversation with actress Carey Mulligan on Variety's Actors on Actors episode, the Spider-Man: Homecoming star revealed that she had no qualms in being tagged as the Disney star as she is proud of her work with the multi-franchise Hollywood studio. Watch her interview and her excerpts here:

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More about former Disney Kid Zendaya

Credit: Still of Zendaya in Disney's "Shake It Up"

In a discussion with Promising Young Woman actress Carey Mulligan for Variety's Actors on Actors series, she asked why it is that Zendaya still considers herself a "Disney kid," even after winning a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a drama series for her performance as Rue Burnett in the HBO team drama series Euphoria. According to Entertainment Online, Zendaya remarked that she can't think of herself as a Disney kid now. She said she was grateful to have worked with Disney and considered it a big "learning experience". Zendaya stated that her career with Disney is part of her heritage, in a way, that paved the way for her for more opportunities in Hollywood, especially in the teenage bracket. 

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Not that Zendaya hasn't been worried about the perceived limitations it could place on her career. She shared her disbelief over being cast in HBO's Euphoria, noting that she started out as a poppy teen in Disney Channel's Shake It Up, but the gritty show's director Sam Levinson still thought she could play an angsty Rue. Sam's confidence in her acting abilities made her more willing to take a risk on starring in Euphoria, something that she was apprehensive about because of her acting debut on Disney. She also remarked that she wanted to try "taking risks" with choosing unconventional characters, but she was "scared" due to her Disney kid label. Carey then related with Zendaya in feeling like "appearances" may have affected the roles she's taken on. 

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More Zendaya updates and upcoming movies

Credit: Still of Zendaya in Spider-Man: Far from Home (2017)

According to Deadline, Zendaya made her feature film debut as Michelle in the superhero film Spider-Man: Homecoming, which was released in July 2017. She began her career as a child model and backup dancer, before gaining prominence for her role as Rocky Blue on the Disney Channel sitcom Shake It Up (2010–2013). In 2013, Zendaya was a contestant on the sixteenth season of the competition series Dancing with the Stars. According to Insider, she acted and danced alongside fellow rising star Bella Thorne until the series ended in 2013. She also guest-starred on other Disney Channel shows, including Good Luck Charlie and A.N.T. Farm. Zendaya starred and sang for a track in The Greatest Showman (2018). She will be reprising her role as Michelle in the upcoming MCU Spider-man sequel (2021). Besides that, she is starring in Denis Villeneuve's Dune (2021), alongside Timothee Chalamet. 

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