Zendaya is easily one of the most star-studded actresses in the industry today, one who has established a truly commendable career within nearly one and a half decades. Not only is she a part of some of the most savagely raging franchises of the current day and age, but she has also managed to scoop multiple iconic accolades along the way as well.
Of course, with such a brilliantly led career, her net worth has skyrocketed and she is now the owner of a whopping $22 million Hollywood empire. But while her unparalleled beauty and incredibly admirable acting chops are ones to credit for her success, the real unsung hero behind this laudable career of hers is her elder sister, Katianna “Kizzi” Stoermer Coleman.
Katianna Stoermer Coleman is One of Zendaya’s Biggest Inspirations
For a career that started in 2010 with the role of Rocky Blue in the sitcom Shake It Up, Zendaya has truly come a long way. Today, she is a part of smash-hit franchises like Spider-Man, Dune, and Euphoria, holding prominent iconic roles in all of them. And the one to credit for her success is none other than one of her older sisters who goes by the name “Kizzi.”
Katianna “Kizzi” Stoermer Coleman may not be her real sister since the Challengers actress is the only child of her parents Kazembe Ajamu Coleman and Claire Stoermer, but the young star admires her immensely nonetheless. This was evident when the now 27-year-old actress admitted in an interview just how much Kizzi has inspired her.
Talking to Time about the people who have been the biggest influences on her, The Greatest Showman actress candidly confessed back in 2015:
I look up to my big sister and realize the influence she’s had on me and making me a better person.
That said, Kizzi was inevitably one of the most driving forces in establishing Zendaya as the powerful star she is today with her $22 million net worth, which is a notable aggregation of all the big budgeted roles and brand endorsements she has done to date (via Celebrity Net Worth).
However, that’s not all: The raging Hollywood heartthrob also credits her parents and the remaining of her “big, grounded family” for her success as well. As she continued to express to Time:
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized my true models are my parents. My mom is like a sheroe. My dad is so strong. […] Having such a big, grounded family, I realized as you get older how important that is.
All of this being put out there, it is only understandable that Tom Holland’s girlfriend holds her family very, very dear to her and wouldn’t hesitate to thank them out loud for all the tremendous ways they have influenced her.
But while that’s that, the K. C. Undercover star has also had other artists greatly inspire her as well, like the great King of Pop, Michael Jackson.
“I’ve always looked up to people like Michael Jackson,” Says Zendaya
During the same interview, the Malcolm & Marie star also gushed on and on in praise for Michael Jackson, the late legend who truly inspired her to become the person that she is today. If anything, she holds such immense respect for him that she pretty much grew up looking up to him.
As she continued to confess:
I’ve always looked up to people like Michael Jackson and Beyoncé. I’ve loved Michael Jackson since the minute I was born. He’s probably the most talented person ever. He was able to create such an amazing career and be probably the biggest star we’ve ever had.
Besides his remarkable talent, what further had her in complete awe of him was how he never swore in his songs and always made people feel better through his music. As the actress went on to express:
But also, never did he cuss in his songs. He always had a positive way of doing what he did. He had such a love for the art of music and tried to make people feel better through that.
Effortlessly enough, while Zendaya’s commendable success can be attributed to her immeasurable talent and hard work, it isn’t restricted to just that since people like Kizzi, her parents, her big, grounded family, and iconic legends like Michael Jackson and Beyoncé have also played a major role in making her the fan-favorite star that she is today.
