Zendaya Wishes She 'Went To School,' Reflects On Being Family 'Breadwinner' As A Child
Zendaya reflected on her early days in the showbiz industry in her latest magazine cover story.
Vogue's May issue cover girl was recently asked what it was like to start working in the entertainment world at such a young age in an interview for her cover story.
"I'm very tense, and I think that I carry that from being a kid and never really having an opportunity to just try s**t. And I wish I went to school," she said.
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.@Zendaya has never played a character quite like Tashi Duncan, the fiercely competitive tennis phenom at the center of Luca Guadagnino’s “Challengers.” “There was something about her that felt very, Oh, damn,” she says. “Even I was kind of scared of her.” https://t.co/2EuOAjW5th pic.twitter.com/a4LjsMcqtX
— Vogue Magazine (@voguemagazine) April 9, 2024
The 27-year-old actress started acting at age 13. She played the role of Rocky Blue on the Disney Channel show "Shake It Up." She ventured into singing and acting in movies shortly after.
According to Zendaya, she did "not know how much of a choice [she] had" at the time because she was her family's breadwinner.
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"I'm almost going through my angsty teenager phase now because I didn't really have the time to do it before. I felt like I was thrust into a very adult position," she shared.
"I was becoming the breadwinner of my family very early, and there was a lot of role reversal happening, and just kind of becoming grown, really."
(Photo : Steven Ferdman/GETTY IMAGES)
The "Euphoria" actress was also asked if she ever worried about what she would do if her entertainment career did not work out.
"Hmm. It's funny because it's something that I'm figuring out now... I've only ever done what I've known," she responded.
Throughout her career thus far, Zendaya has starred in several movies, including "Spider-Man: No Way Home," "Spider-Man: Far From Home," "The Greatest Showman" and "Malcolm & Marie," among many others.
She also appeared in several TV series, such as "K.C. Undercover," "Good Luck Charlie" and "A.N.T. Farm," among others, as well as music videos.
In her latest film, "Challengers," she will play the role of Tashi, a pro tennis player who gets forced to become a coach after suffering an injury. As a coach, she will transform her husband (Mike Faist) from a mediocre player to a world-famous tennis champion.
"Challengers" is scheduled to hit cinemas in the U.S. on April 26.
