Zendaya has been called “ugly”, people have mocked her for being so thin, and for years her appearance has been a subject of discussion online. But the criticism did not stop at her body: it also extended to her hair, her features, and the color of her skin. One of the most memorable incidents occurred when she appeared at the 2015 Oscars wearing locs and Giuliana Rancic commented that her hair looked like it smelled of “patchouli oil or marijuana”. Zendaya was only 18 and responded by pointing out the racial stereotypes behind those words.
Something similar happened when she was cast in Spider-Man. Part of the public questioned a Black young woman taking the place of Peter Parker’s love interest because they expected to see the traditional image associated with Mary Jane: white and redheaded. Zendaya responded then that some people would simply have to get used to seeing her there. And she herself has spoken about colorism in Hollywood: she acknowledged that being a light-skinned Black woman has given her privileges and even described herself as the “acceptable” version of a Black girl for the industry, precisely to denounce the fact that other women with darker skin do not receive the same opportunities.
The paradox is where she is today. At 24, she became the youngest actress to win the Emmy for Best Drama Actress for Euphoria. Two years later, she won it again and became the first Black woman to receive that award twice. That was followed by Dune, Spider-Man, Challengers, and now productions such as The Odyssey and the new installment of Dune. We are no longer talking about that girl whose appearance some people discussed as if it determined the roles she could play: we are talking about one of the most sought-after actresses of her generation.
Zendaya reached a place that few actresses of color still manage to reach. And perhaps that is the most powerful part of her story: while some people debated whether she fit the image of a Hollywood star, Zendaya was too busy becoming one.