Marvel and Dune star Zendaya has wrapped up yet another journey around the sun and is now 26 years old. A star since her early days on the Disney Channel, the Californian-born triple threat has racked up some incredible roles before the age of 30.
Here are the greatest moments in Zendaya’s career so far.
Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
One of the biggest gambles of the MCU’s version of Spider-Man was doing a completely original character based loosely on the famous comic book character Mary-Jane Watson. In marketing for Homecoming, Zendaya’s role was only called Michelle with the big reveal at the end seeing her nicknamed “MJ”. The sardonic and darkly comedic role was a perfect fit for Zendaya, with her chemistry with Jacob Batalon and (importantly) Tom Holland selling this new version of the webhead.
The Greatest Showman (2017)
Based on the life of famous carnival entertainer P.T. Barnum, The Greatest Showman boasted an all-star cast of modern-day musical cinema including Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron, and the birthday girl herself Zendaya. Showing off her magnificent singing pipes, the actress was one of the highlights of the film alongside the ever-charismatic Jackman. It didn’t receive the greatest of reviews, but The Greatest Showman did become the third-highest grossing musical film in American history.
Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
As hero Spider-Man battles the illusionist Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal) in Spider-Man: Far From Home, Zendaya’s MJ becomes more and more important in the life of his alter-ego Peter Parker. As MJ and Peter travel across Europe, the young man’s plan to date his mysterious classmate gets interrupted by typical superhero shenanigans.
Eventually finding out that Peter is Spider-Man, MJ becomes an important part of “the team”. Boosted so heavily by her real-life romance with Tom Holland, their chemistry makes the duo feel like a cute couple.
Euphoria (2019 – present)
HBO Max’s saucy teenage drama Euphoria stars Zendaya as recovering drug addict Rue Bennet, a different role for the young actress that allowed her to show off her acting range. A dark drama, Euphoria also stars Sydney Sweeney, Maude Apatow, and Alexa Demie and is one of the most talked-about shows on Twitter. In fact, the role also earned Zendaya her very first Emmy –Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series – becoming the youngest person to take home the award.
Malcolm and Marie (2021)
A surprise trailblazer in Hollywood, Malcolm and Marie became the first film to be written, produced, and financed during the pandemic. Shot in the summer of 2020, Zendaya’s artsy romantic flick saw her coupled with Tenet star John David Washington in a black-and-white feature. Whilst not getting the critical reception it aimed for, it did get picked up by Netflix and won the Best Cinematography award at the Black Reel Awards.
Dune: Part One (2021)
Whilst Zendaya is mostly relegated to appearing in a few trippy dream sequences in Dune, she finally gets to meet Timothee Chamelet’s lead Paul in the film’s final act. Set for a much larger role in Dune: Part Two, it’s a testament to Zendaya’s work rate that she worked on this film alongside fellow 2021 hit Spider-Man: No Way Home. But will she get to travel inside of a giant sandworm in Dune: Part Two?
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
The highest-grossing film of 2021 and a film that symbolized a change in cinemagoing in a pandemic world, Zendaya is one of the top-billed in the ensemble cast of Spider-Man: No Way Home. After Peter Parker is outed as Spider-Man, the lives of the ones he loves are thrown out the window alongside his. MJ remains a crucial part of his life but ends up tragically being forced out of Peter’s life as Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) performs the mindwipe spell on the world. We can only assume she’ll learn who Peter is again in future films.