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Who is Euphoria actress and former Disney Star Zendaya?

Zendaya has come a long way from her days on the Disney Channel Series 'Shake It Up'.

She has proven her talent as an actress in various films, and she is currently starring in the HBO series Euphoria.

 Zendaya has become a top Hollywood talent since her days as a Disney Channel child star
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Zendaya has become a top Hollywood talent since her days as a Disney Channel child starCredit: Getty Images - Getty

Who is Zendaya?

is a biracial singer, actress and model.

The native Californian first rose to prominence opposite of in 's dance sitcom Shake It Up - where the pair played best friends from 2010-2013.

Since then she has gained an Instagram following of 84million people and has her own app and clothing line called Daya by Zendaya.

The starlet made history as the youngest woman to win the Emmy Award for Best Actress on September 20, 2020.

 Zendaya is an actress, singer, and model who began her Hollywood career at the age of 14
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Zendaya is an actress, singer, and model who began her Hollywood career at the age of 14Credit: Getty Images

Who does Zendaya play in Euphoria?

Zendaya plays Rue, a drug-addicted teen who tries to navigate sobriety, high school and relationships after leaving rehab.

Rue is 's protagonist and much of the show revolves around her as she narrates HBO's controversial teen drama, of which Drake is an executive producer.

Though the show has received quite a bit of fanfare, people have also criticized the show for glorifying teen drug use, pornography, and violence.

Despite Euphoria's controversial plot line, the tv show has been confirmed for a , and it will premiere on January 9, 2022.

 

 Zendaya plays drug-addicted teenager Rue in the controversial Euphoria
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Zendaya plays drug-addicted teenager Rue in the controversial EuphoriaCredit: HBO

What other TV shows and films has she appeared in?

Zendaya famously played Michelle in the Marvel movies : Homecoming and Spider-Man: Far from Home.

The films follow Spider-Man, also known as Peter Parker (played by Tom Holland) as he takes on some of the threats to the world.

She also took on the role of Anne Wheeler in The Greatest Showman, which hit UK theaters in January 2018.

In the film she starred alongside Zac Efron, Rebecca Ferguson and Hugh Jackman.

 Zendaya starred as MJ in Spider-Man Homecoming and Spider-Man: Far From Home
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Zendaya starred as MJ in Spider-Man Homecoming and Spider-Man: Far From HomeCredit: AP:Associated Press

The Greatest Showman tells the story of P.T Barnum, a showman that created the Barnum and Bailey circus in the mid-1800s.

Most recently, she reprised her role as MJ in Spider-Man: Far From Home and is slated to appear in the Sci-Fi drama Dune in 2021.

She has also lent her voice to the cartoon Smallfoo (2018), which told the tale of a yeti, who believes that "imaginary" humans are real.

The actress has also featured in Beyonce's All Night video and Taylor Swift's Bad Blood music video.

 Zendaya also received praise for starring alongside Hugh Jackman in The Greatest Showman in 2017
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Zendaya also received praise for starring alongside Hugh Jackman in The Greatest Showman in 2017Credit: Scope Features

When did she win her Emmy?

On September 20, 2020,  Zendaya won an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress for her portrayal of Rue.

She is the youngest woman to receive the statuette, winning the award at 24 years old.

The starlet smashed the previous age record set last year by Killing Eve star Jodie Comer, who was 26 when she won the same award.

 She's the youngest woman to win the Emmy for Best Actress
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She's the youngest woman to win the Emmy for Best ActressCredit: © 2020 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

 

While accepting her trophy, Zendaya .

“I know this feels like a really weird time to be celebrating but I just want to say there is hope in the young people out there," Zendaya said during her live-streamed award speech.

"I know that our TV show doesn’t always feel like a great example of that, but there is hope in our young people."

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