The world knows Zendaya today for being one of the biggest and most sought-after stars in the entertainment industry. She has consistently been part of some of the most exceptional projects, both the big and silver screen has seen in recent years.
But before all that fame and glory, the actress had started her journey into films and TV shows as a young Disney star.
The show she’s known for that made her climb the ladder to the top was her role as the titular protagonist of K.C. Undercover. But unlike most stars who try to conform themselves to their character, Zendaya had a different approach.
When she was offered the role in the series, she laid out clear instructions for the production on what they could and couldn’t make her character do in the series or she may have not taken it at all.
Zendaya Laid Out Strict Conditions That Would Get Her To Sign On K.C. Undercover
Being a part of mega-blockbusters and critical hits in the film industry is almost made look easy by Zendaya as she has consistently proven herself in these projects through her commitment and dedication to her performance.
But in the past, the actress was more stoic when it came to her big role in Disney Channel’s TV series K.C. Undercover, where she had to lay out the brass tacks for the production if they wanted her on the show.
In a past interview with Vogue, the Euphoria star recounted the time she met up with executives of the Disney Channel before she ssigned n to play the role of K.C. Cooper in the show.
She said that if she wanted young girls, and especially, girls of color to be portrayed as strong and self-sufficient, she had to take a stand and lay out all that she wanted and didn’t want her character to be portrayed as. She said:
“I wanted to make sure that she wasn’t good at singing or acting or dancing. That she wasn’t artistically inclined. I didn’t want them to all of a sudden be like, ‘Oh, yeah, and then she sings this episode!’ No. She can’t dance; she can’t sing. She can’t do that stuff. There are other things that a girl can be. I want her to be martial arts–trained. I want her to be able to do everything that a guy can do.”
Thus, by standing her ground and holding on to the integrity of the character and her idea for it, she managed to make a tremendous impact through her series.
What’s Next For Zendaya?
Ever since she became a renowned household name as a young Disney star, Zendaya has grown out of that shell and diversified her career into films of different genres and impressed the world at the same time.
And she has only begun her journey towards superstardom, which means there’s still a lot more she has to offer. In the future, we might see her reprise her role as Rue Bennet in the sensational HBO drama series Euphoria, which the fans have eagerly been waiting for.
Along with that, she might also make her reappearance as Chani in Denis Villeneuve’s upcoming Dune: Messiah, which is part of the filmmaker’s masterpiece Dune series of films that has taken the world by storm.
K.C. Undercover, streaming on Disney+.
