She celebrated a birthday and an Emmy this month!
The 26-year-old actress just made history with her two-time win for “Lead Actress in a Drama Series” at the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards, Harper’s Bazaar reports.
Oakland native, Zendaya Coleman, is a young actress and singer. From Disney Channel to films, her acting career continues to flourish. She had us shook with her first Vogue cover in 2017; by 2020 she had us raving over her character, Rue, in HBO’s second most-watched show, Euphoria, which was directed by Sam Levinson. People loved the hit show so much that she won her first Emmy for Best Actress in a Drama Series in the same year; she’s the youngest person to ever win in that category. Two years later with only two seasons aired, Coleman just earned a second Emmy at the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards in the same category. She has made history as the first Black woman to win an Emmy twice for lead actress and remains the youngest two-time Emmy winner. Along with her win, she also received Emmy nominations for helping produce Euphoria’s soundtrack songs “Elliot’s Song” and “I’m Tired.”
In Euphoria, Rue is a high school student who struggles with drug addiction. Throughout the show, she has many memorable scenes and monologues, using her top-tier acting skills to evoke a roller coaster of emotions in viewers. As destructive as the character may seem, her role has provided relatability that some young kids can appreciate, helping them to not feel alone or misunderstood. Her character has also inspired many young kids to put drugs down or turn their lives around.
Coleman received a standing ovation when standing to accept her award and proceeded to thank family, friends, fans, and cast mates. “Thank you for making such a safe space to make this very difficult show. I love you all so much,” she began. “Thank you to Sam [Levinson] for sharing Rue with me. Thank you for believing in me even in moments where I didn’t believe in myself.” She extended an even more special thank you to viewers who have shared their addiction and recovery stories with her. “My greatest wish for ‘Euphoria’ was that it could help heal people. I want you to know that anyone who has loved a Rue or feels like they are a Rue … I am so grateful for your stories, and I carry them with me and I carry them with her.”
Her former Oakland charter school, Oakland School for the Arts, honored her Emmy win. Mike Oz, the Executive Director of the school, told KTVU, “Oakland School for the Arts is beyond amazed by Zendaya’s accomplishments. She continues to break down barriers as a young Black woman in Hollywood.” He added, “Zendaya brings a great sense of pride to the OSA community.”
Zendaya certainly is a star, and she’s just getting started. She started on Disney shows like Shake It Up, Zapped, and K.C. Undercover, but quickly moved on to the big screen with movies like the Spider-Man trilogy, Space Jam: A New Legacy, The Amazing Showman, Malcolm & Marie, Dune, and many more. She has a few upcoming projects to stay on the look out for, such as season 3 of Euphoria, a Dune sequel, and a substantial role as singer Ronnie Spector in the new biopic, Be My Baby.
Congratulations, Zendaya! We can’t wait to see more.
Photo: Getty Images/HBO/Invision/AP